Not your average Dreamland
by Digital Winter
Summary: Sora has returned to a radically altered Wonderland, and Alice has lost her sanity. Can he help her fight through this world and help her regain her sanity and his own? SoraXAlice, American McGee's Alice Crossover. Rated M for Blood & Gore. Please R
1. 364

I do not own Kingdom Hearts, Alice in Wonderland, American McGee's Alice, or their characters.

- Digital Winter

----

"Sora! This way!" Taking him by the hand, Alice started running down the hallway, Sora struggling to keep up.

"There's no hurry, Alice!" Sora laughed. The two ran down the checkered tile hallway to the sound of clockwork and into the bizarre room. Alice let go of Soras hand and walked over to the table and grabbed one of the two bottles from the table and faced Sora.

"Cheers!" Alice put the bottle to her mouth and drank a sip of the liquid inside, then, she handed the bottle to Sora, who did the same. After a few seconds, the two of them shrank to the size of a mouse.

Before Sora had a chance to survey his surroundings, Alice was pulling him by the hand again and running into a secret passageway leading into the lotus forest.

"Do hurry, Sora!" She yelled, running ahead of him.

"Wait up!" Sora laughed, almost loosing his way. The ecstatic Alice called him deeper into the forest. Alice suddenly stopped, and faced Sora.

"What's you're about to see, I- I mean, WE'VE planned for a very long time! I hope you enjoy it!"

"Who's WE?" Alice smiled at him.

"You'll just have to wait and see! Now, let's keep going." Sora followed Alice deeper into the lotus forest. Taking twist and turns, Alice finally stopped in front of two gates.

"Are you ready Sora?"

"Sure am!"

**"SORA!!!"**

Sora violently fell out of his bed and onto the cold floor.

"Huh? What? Where did-? When…?" Sora scratched his head and yawned. Yuffie looked down at him and helped him up.

"Good morning! You slept in late, silly! Get dressed! We won't eat breakfast without you, and Donald's getting maaad." Yuffie walked out and closed the door to the hotel room as Sora closed his eyes. 

"Was it just a dream? It was a nice one though." Sora stripped off his night shirt and pants and changed into his everyday clothes, and sleepily went downstairs into the dining room, where everyone was sitting at a table, looking very hungry.

"There you are! We've been waiting forever for you!"

"Donald! Not so loud!" Yuffie yelled at him. Aerith turned to face Sora. 

"Good morning. Did you sleep well, Sora?"

"Yeah, I slept great, thanks." Sora yawned and sat down next to her. Donald and Yuffie dug into their food instantly. Sora poked at the strawberries on is pancakes before finally waking up, and realising how hungry he was. He viciously stabbed the pancakes, and entered the race that Donald and Yuffie were in to finish breakfast first.

"I'LL BEAT YOU BOTH!!!"

"NUH UH!"

"UH HUH!!!"

"I'LL EAT TEN TIMES MORE THAN YOU!!!" The battle raged on. For a time. Until Leon, expecting a normal peaceful breakfast broke up the battle.

"KNOCK IT OFF, ALL OF YOU!!!" The room fell silent, even others in the hotel fell silent. Donald near choked on an over-sized strawberry, Yuffie held a fork in defence, and Sora kept eating. The room returned to its normal state and everyone continued eating.

After breakfast, Sora left the hotel and walked around Hollow Bastion. The cold air was brisk bur refreshing. He laid flat on his back on a ledge and stared off into the cloudy sky. It looked like it was going to rain. He pulled out some of his key chains and spun them around on his fingers in boredom as he watched the gray clouds roll by. He stretched and turned over to lie on his stomach. After a few minutes of day dreaming, rain started falling lightly down on him. Sora simply stood up. It didn't bother him much.

"Hello Sora!" Aerith was next to him, holding a spare umbrella over him. He gladly took it.

"Hey thanks!" Sora smiled, taking the umbrella in her free hand.

"It's no trouble." She said softly, sitting next to him.

"Are you thinking about anything in particular?"

"Nah. Just a dream I had." Sora smiled at her.

"Well then, let's get back inside."

---

Sora yawned widely and stretched, before sighing and falling back onto the bed. The pitter-patter of rain on the window was relaxing. The ticking from the clock was intoxicating. He felt himself drift off to sleep.

Pop. His eyes flashed open. There he was in the Bizarre Room. The clockwork sounded so familiar.

Again. Just like his previous dream. Nothing out of the ordinary, right? This was just a dream.

Sora grabbed the bottle from the table, and took a large swig of it. He shrunk down the size of a mouse and surveyed the room. There it was. The secret passage. His curiosity building up, he walked towards the path. As he got closer, he heard humming. It was a happy tune, and very playful. The humming came from none other but Alice. She sat on the thick tree trunk by the passage. As she hummed, she played with daisies to make a flower crown and put it on her head with a giggle. Sora walked into the clearing and next to Alice.

"Hey there!" Alice turned to face him. And with an angry "Hmp!" She stuck her nose in the air, turned her head and folded her arms. 

"Hey, are you mad at me?"

"Oh, goodness no! Why would I be mad? You just ran away from me after we planned something special for you! I'm not mad at all!" Alice said, sarcasm boiling over. Sora sat down next to her.

"Listen, I didn't mean to leave. I don't even know HOW I left. If I could stay here I would! Really!" Alice, turning her head towards him, smiled.

"Oh bugger. I can't stay mad at you, Sora!" Sora smiled at her. 

"So, what is it that you had planned for me?"

"Oh yes! Please, follow me." She jumped off the tree trunk and signalled Sora to follow her. He kept his pace with Alice and they then arrived where Alice led them. Over the hedges, Sora could see red and yellow paper lanterns with the lights dimmed, and steam rising into the air. Alice stopped abruptly in her tracks.

"Wait here, Sora." Alice then opened the pink gates and after closing them, walked inside. Sora obediently waited. After a few minutes time past, Alice called for him to come inside. Sora slowly opened the gates, and closed them behind him as he walked in. There was a spotlight shining on a pink armchair, but it was the only thing his eyes could see. He walked over to it and sat down. Suddenly the lights flashed on and he was in a garden, at the head of a long table that was covered in teapots and cups of all shapes and sizes. At the end of the table, there were three chairs filled by three people; Alice was one of them. The other was a strange person in a large hat and a rabbit. They all jumped out of their chairs and onto the table throwing confetti and other things into the air.

"Surprise! Happy Unbirthday!!!!" The group yelled, Alice jumped off the table and embraced Sora with wide arms. Sora's smile was so wide he was laughing from ecstatic joy.

"This is what The Mad Hatter, The Match Hare and I have been planning for you! Do you like it?" Alice said, holding Sora's hand and swinging it playfully.

"Yeah, I love it! But it's not my birthday." The March Hare walked over to Sora.

"Ah, but it's not a birthday! It's an UN-birthday!" Sora gave him a raised eyebrow.

"Un-birthday?"

"Yes, that's right." The Mad Hatter walked over and handed him a cup of tea.

"Statistics prove, prove that you've one birthday, one birthday ev'ry year. But there are three hundred and sixty four unbirthdays!"

"That is why we're gathered here to cheer. A very merry unbirthday to you, to you!" As the Hatter and Hare sang, Alice was humming along, then she pulled Sora out of his chair and began to dance in circles with him, and the teapots blew steam sounded like music. Sora hasn't even felt happier in a dream before. He knew dreams felt realistic, but this just made him wish it was real. The Hatter and Hare stopped singing.

"Okay sit down sit down!" They said, pushing Sora and Alice most rudely into their chairs, then sitting in their own.

"Now that the singing is over, how about some'ore tea? And after the tea, we'll have some cake!" The Hatter said, pouring tea out of his sleeve for the Hare. Sora looked down at his own cup, about ready to take a sip. The Hatter, unexpectedly, was right behind him.

"Clean Cup, clean cup! Move down, move down!" He yelled, grabbing his full teacup and tossing it over his shoulder, then pushing Sora out of his hair and into another chair, the Hare doing the same to Alice.

"But I didn't even finish min-" Before Sora could finish his sentence, he was handed a new cup. He gave Alice a 'What the hell just happened' expression, before taking a sip.

"So, where's the cake?" Sora asked, taking another long sip.

"I beg your pardon?" Said the Hatter, most bewildered.

"Isn't there gonna be cake?" Sora said, setting the cup down.

"Oh, so now you want a cake? We most generously give you tea, and now you want us to give you cake! How selfish!" The March Hare said, turning his head.

"But didn't you say…" Sora didn't bother finishing his sentence.

"What did I say?" The Hatter asked, looking confused.

"You said there would be cake."

"I did? Oh goodness, cake sounds wonderful right now! Let's get some!" He said, jumping under the table. Sora covered his face with his hands and sighed. Alice laughed slightly, before turning her head towards the March Hare. He held a teapot and the lid flew open and a firework flew out. But not just a firework, a mouse too! The looked extremely drowsy and it held and umbrella to help him float down safely. As he fell, he sang Sora a poem. 

"Twinkle twinkle little bat… how I wonder what you're at…." The poor thing was too tired to even finish, and he fell asleep mid-flight, and landed right back into the teapot as the Hare put the lid back over it. Sora raised another eyebrow.

"That was pointless…" Their attentions were then turned to The Mad Hatter, who was holding a large pink cake with the words, "Happy Unbirthday Sora!" written in dark pink icing on the top. They set the cake in front of Sora, as Alice stood next to him looking extremely anxious; she was bouncing and her face held the brightest smile. Sora took a deep breath and blew out the candles and everyone cheered. . Sora took a knife in hand and slowly cut into the cake. Even after one cut, the cake exploded, and in the remains there was a single present. Though small, it was colourfully wrapped with a satin red ribbon. Before Sora hand a chance to open it, Alice pushed his hands away.

"Now Sora, this is from all of us. We found it together! We hope you like it!" Alice smiled, letting go of his hands. Sora untied the ribbon and the box fell open. Inside the box was a keychain; a card keychain with a red Ace and Heart. It took him a few moments to realise it was a Keyblade keychain. He pulled put the Keyblade and unhooked his current keychain, and latched on the new keychain. In a pink light, the Keyblade changed. The new Keyblade was purple with a mixture of yellows, oranges and reds. On the blade was a diamond, clubs, a heart and spade. Sora's jaw hung low as he embraced Alice tightly.

"Alice, I love it! Thanks so much!" He said, as Alice hugging him back as well, both jumping up and down in joy. The Hatter and March Hare looked somewhat ignored.

"We helped too you know." They said with jealously. Sora smiled at them.

"Thanks you guys. It's awesome!" He said, swinging it around and nearly hitting them with it.

"It's called the Lady Luck keychain! So we all hope it'll bring you luck!" She said smiling.

"It means a lot, Alice. Thanks. And here's my unbirthday present to you." He said leaning in, and pecked her lightly on the cheek. The blushing Alice turned around quickly, trying to hide her red face.

"W-well I'm g-glad you liked it." She stuttered, twiddling her fingers nervously.

Sora woke up with a jump. The room was bright from the open window and the alarm clock next to him wasn't helping at all. He slowly reached to turn the alarm clock off and didn't bother with the window. He stretched widely and closed his eyes again.

"Man, another dream…" he sighed. He lifted his right arm to shade his eyes from the sunlight. But after he did so, something fell off of his hand and onto his face. Sora's eyes opened and he grabbed the object and held it in his hand.

It was the Lady Luck keychain. Sora's heart skipped five beats as his eyes widened. Could these not be dreams at all?


	2. Unbirthdays

I am SO sorry for reloading this chapter more than once. Unwanted lines apart from the story are making their ways into here, and it's not exactly noticeable. Please bear with me. I'm trying to fix it.

And a passage in this chapter contains snippets from the chapter, "A Mad Tea Party" (slightly altered at that) from the original book "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland." Though the fanfiction IS set more-so to the movie over the book, it helps more with the plot in later chapters. So if those who haven't read the book don't recognize some conversations, that is why. Enjoy the chapter; it came out much longer than I originally thought! I'll try to keep all chapters like this.

Digital Winter

---

Rushing down the twists and turns of the hotels hallways, jumping down stairwells and dodging countless people, Sora searched frantically for his friends. After reaching the main lobby, he found Aerith, Yuffie and Leon about to leave the doors of the hotel. The keychain tightly kept in his hand, he approached them. They turned their heads at the frantic Sora.

"Sora, is something wrong?" Leon asked, looking slightly concerned.

"Look at this!" Sora held the newly found keychain in his palm, as the three looked at it.

"Oooh, nice new keychain! Where'd you get it?" Yuffie asked, enthusiasm building.

"Alice gave it to me. In my dreams! Then when I woke up, it was in my hand!" They looked at him with disbelief and perplexed expressions.

"Sora, maybe you had it before but you forgot. And your dreams jogged your memory. Nothing more than that." Aerith said calmly, putting her hand on his shoulder. Sora brushed it off violently with his own hand. 

"No! Alice gave it to me in my dreams! I'm serious!" The group gave him a confused look.

"You mean that little blonde girl from Wonderland? She gave it to you?" Yuffie was cut off when Sora turned his back to them and started walking back.

"Hey! Where are you going?"

"I'll prove to you that it's real!" Sora starkly ran down the hallway. He wasn't even tired, but it made no difference to him. He knew what was happening to him was real. As he reached his hotel room, his breath was short as he unlocked the door and locked it shut. He fell onto the bed, lied on his back and took in deep gaping breaths. Turning to his side, he stared at the clock and watched the hands slowly move. Nothing. He turned on his back staring at the ceiling. Still nothing. He groaned, turning to his side and lifted himself up. He walked over to the table and searched inside his pack. He pulled out a small bag of sleeping pills that he kept when he had a hard time sleeping on adventures. He grabbed two and popped them in his mouth. After a few minutes, the sleeping pills took effect, and Sora felt very drowsy. In a moment's time, he fell asleep.

-----

"Think we should wake him up?"

"Ah, let's just let him sleep!" Donald yelled, folding his arms and turning his head.

"Hey, that's not very nice! What if he's sick?" Yuffie said, adding a glare. The two always seemed to have fights, arguing over stupid things, only to have Leon break up the fights.

"Look, maybe we should just go wake him up and tell him it's nothing. Agreed?" The small group nodded, Donald still looking a little mad. Aerith walked away from the bickering group and began to walk up the stairwell to Sora's room. She quietly knocked on the door.

"Sora? Are you awake?" She pressed her ear to the door, but she didn't hear anything. She took the key to his door, from which she had obtained from Leon, and unlocked it. Stepping into the room, the sunset and a cool breeze through an open window greeted her, followed by a sleeping Sora. She approached the bed and sat on her knees, watching Sora sleep. He was breathing calmly, and it looked like he was smiling. The keychain he had was still in his hand, and he seemed at ease. When he turned to his left, facing Aerith, a white flower has fallen off of Sora's shoulder and onto his hand. Aerith, confused, scanned the room. There was a vase on the shelf above Sora with white flowers in it. That explained it. Setting the flower on the windowsill next to him, she gently shook his arm. No response. She shook faster this time. Sora's eyes slowly opened. He stretched for a moment before realising he was awake. He eyes flashed open and he jumped up straight and grabbed his head.

"No! Not again!" Sora threw his hands down on his pillow and sighed. He didn't notice Aerith in the room, until she made herself known.

"Sora, are you alright?" His head quickly turned to Aerith like a hungry wolf.

"Did you wake me up?" He asked, turning his head and looking around the room.

"Yes, I'm sorry. But you've been sleeping for far too long. So I had to wake you up." Sora couldn't focus. He seemed to be looking for something.

"What are you looking for?" She asked, standing up.

"A white flower." Aerith pointed to the flower on the windowsill.

"Do you mean that one?" Sora's head turned at breakneck speed and he grabbed the flower at once. 

"Yeah! See, Alice gave it to me in my dream. So that proves that what's going on is real!" Aerith sighed and shook her head. 

"No Sora. It's not from Alice. That flower fell from the flower vase on the top shelf and landed on your head. It's nothing more than coincidence." Aerith stared at Sora, as he held the flower in his hand, just staring deeply into it, as it if held great meaning. To her, it was just a flower; a run of the mill flower. But to Sora, what did it hide? His eyes met with Aeriths. The sensation she received from the look was overwhelming. The sadness and desperation in his eyes; why were they showing? Aerith turned her head and faced the door.

"I'm sorry. I'll leave now." She quickly ran out of the room and shut the door. Sora didn't bother to lock the door or to shut the window. The flower in his hand slowly drifted off and onto the floor and he slowly fell back, his head hitting the pillows and sighed. Did nobody believe him? Sora's eyes closed slowly, and in a minute's time, he fell asleep.

His eyes snapping open, he awoke once again in the large flowered field where he last left Alice. His eyes caught Alice's figure, which was lying in a bed of flowers and making another flower crown, singing quietly. With a smile, Sora walked over slowly and sat next to her. Her head turned to his and their eyes met. Alice sat upright and sighed.

"There you go again, always leaving when we are having fun." She was obviously joking, because her statement was followed by a smile.

"Hey, you know I can't help it." He said, straitening out and lying down on his back. Alice picked another flower and put it behind Sora's ear.

"Well I do hope you don't have to leave any time soon." She sighed, and lied down next to him, facing the sky and closing her eyes.

----

"Clean cup, clean cup! Move down, move down!" The Hatter yelled as the four quickly changed their seats and sat in new ones. Sora returning to Wonderland was a mandatory schedule for him. Alice, who was next to Sora, poured him a cup of tea and handed it to him before taking her own, which was instantly traded for an empty cup from the March Hare.

"Ah, you see to be out of tea. Would you care to take more?" The Mad Hatter asked, holding up the most bizarrely shaped teapot.

"I've had nothing yet, so I can't take more." Alice said, reaching for a full cup.

"You mean you can't take less; it's very easy to take more than nothing."

Nobody asked your opinion,' said Alice, narrowing her eyes.

Who's making personal remarks now?' the Hatter asked, looking triumphant. The following silence lasted for less than a minute, before The Hatter broke the silence.

"What day of the month is it?" He said, turning to Alice and Sora while taking a large pocket watch out of his pocket, which looked strangely familiar. After moments of staring blankly at it, he began shaking it occasionally and holding it to his ear.

"Isn't it the seventeenth?" Sora posted, resting his elbows on the table.

"Five days wrong!" Sighed the Hatter before throwing the watch onto the table.

"Didn't I tell you butter wouldn't suit the gears?"

"…It was the very best butter." The March Hare replied.

"Is that how watches work here?" Sora asked most perplexed, lifting up the jar of butter. The Hatter had quickly changed the subject as if it had never started.

"Why is a raven like a writing-desk?" The Hatter said, turning towards the two. Alice rested her chin on her hand and thought deeply.

"Hm, I believe I can guess that."

"Do you mean that you think you can find out the answer to it?" said the March Hare. 

"Exactly!" Said Alice, folding her hands onto the table.

"Then you should say what you mean." The March Hare posted, taking a knife and cutting a full cup right in half. It's almost no surprise that the tea had stayed intact with the half-cup.

"I do! At least, I meant to say, oh, it's the same thing you know."

"Not the same thing at all!" The Hatter said, before a most confused Sora interrupted.

"Okay, I'm lost. Weren't we just answering a riddle?" Sora said, facing Alice.

"Ah yes. Now, let me see now… why is a raven like a writing desk…" Alice asked out loud. Sora laid back in his chair and thought of the possible answers to the riddle.

"Have you guessed the riddle yet?" The Hatter asked, then turning to the two.

"No, we give up. What is the answer?" Asked Alice.

"I haven't the slightest idea." Said the Hatter.

"Nor do I." Replied the March Hare. Alice sighed.

"I think you'd spend your time more wisely then asking riddles that have no answer."

"If you knew Time as well as I do, you wouldn't talk about wasting it! It's Him."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you mean." Alice asked, most puzzled.

"Of course you don't!" The Hatter posted, turning his head to the side.

"I dare say you have never spoken to Time!"

"Perhaps not, but I know I have to beat time when I learn music." Alice replied. 

"Am I the only one who finds this conversation strange? Weren't we just talking about riddles? Now music? I don't understand you guys." Sora said, throwing his hands onto the table and staring at the Hatter and Hare. The Hatter instantly turned his head.

"Oh music? That reminds me; we quarreled last March, just before HE went mad, you know." He said, pointing his tea spoon at the Hare. It was at a concert given by The Queen of Hearts, and I had to sing, 'Twinkle, twinkle, little bat! How I wonder what you're at!' You know the song, yes?"

"I've heard a song like it." Replied Sora.

"It goes on you know. In this way; 'Up above the world you fly, like a tea-tray in the sky. Twinkle, twinkle-'" Then the Dormouse had begun to sing it its sleep, singing the verse "Twinkle twinkle, twinkle twinkle..." and said it so long that they had to pinch him to make him stop.

"Well, I hadn't even finished the first verse when the Queen jumped up and screamed, 'He's murdering the time! Off with his head!'"

"Oh, how dreadfully savage!" Said Alice, quite shocked.

"And ever since that, he (Time) won't do a thing I ask! It's always six o'clock now. Alice was struck with an idea.

"Is that the reason so many tea-things are put out here?"

"Yes yes, that's it. It's always tea-time here. And there is no time to wash things between whiles."

"Then you keep moving round, I suppose?" Asked Alice.

"But what happens when you come to the beginning again?"

"Shall we change the subject? I am getting quite tired of it."

"I want a clean cup." Groaned the rather quiet and half asleep looking Sora, who actually did fall asleep for a small portion of the mixed-up conversation. He was holding his empty tea cup lazily into the air, as it carelessly fell out of his fingers and onto the table, smashing into 7 pieces.

"Let's all move one place on then." The Hatter exclaimed, he moved on and into the Hares place as he spoke. The March Hare moved Alice's place, Alice moved into Sora's, and Sora, still half asleep, moved into the Hatters place. Alice began to open her mouth, but the Hare quickly interrupted.

"A fine day for an unbirthday, don't you agree?" The March Hare said, dipping a tea plate in the tea and taking a bite out of it as it if were a biscuit. 

"Very! Make room for more cake, I suppose." Sora was three-fourths asleep, head face-down onto the table as the rest of his body slouched in the chair. He weakly groaned,

"I'm sick of unbirthdays…"

"Ah ah ah! No need to be tetchy. You don't have to eat; but polite table conversation would be in order then." The Hatter said, jumping onto the table to reach a far-off tea pot. As Alice took a sip from her cup, Sora fell asleep. 

"So, does the Cheshire Cat ever come around here?" Alice asked. The Hatter and March Hare stopped so suddenly and looked as if pure terror were about to strike. Suddenly, the Dormouse, who was just sleeping peacefully in its teapot, flung the lid open, eyes widened and began shaking.

"Cat? CAT? CAT!? AHHH!!!" Suddenly, the Dormouse jumped out of its pot and began running cross the table reeking pure havoc in fear, breaking teapots, smashing plates and cups, as the March Hare and Mad Hatter jumped onto the table and chased it desperately to put an end to this. Prior to prediction, Sora woke with a nasty shock, as he fell out of the chair and onto the floor. As the Hatter and Hare finally caught the mouse, they screamed at Alice to get the jam. 

'Why, whatever will jam do?' Alice asked herself. But she ran around the table looking for the jar of jam, but not without stepping on Sora's shocked body.

"Oh, Sora! I am dreadfully sorry! But, I do need to…" She didn't bother to finish, as The Mad Hatter and March Hare were still pressuring her to find the jam. After she finally found the jam, they yelled at her to spread it across his nose.

'What nonsense! What good will it do?' Alice asked herself again. But she obeyed, and grabbed a butter knife and spread the jam across the Dormouse's nose, as it slowly calmed down and drifted to sleep, they slowly stuffed him back into his teapot. Alice had frantically jumped onto the table and onto the other side to the very confused Sora.

"Can we go?"

"Oh I would like that very much! This is by far the worst tea-party I've ever been to in my entire life!" She posted, as she and Sora slowly made their ways out of the garden. The Hatter and Hare were happily drinking and chatting as if they had never existed. Loosing sight of their original intent, they began to stray off of the path they were taking and went deeper into the forest. Alice asked Sora a question that's been on her mind for days now.

"Sora, do you remember the first unbirthday?" Sora stood still for a moment, before finally remembering.

"Oh yeah. What a crazy day. What about it?"

"Well, after I gave you the present, you kissed me on the cheek. Now did you have any purpose to that?" Alice asked, twiddling her fingers at a fast pace. Sora folded his arms behind and head and smiled.

"Nope! Just a friendly 'thanks for the present' kiss. You know?" Alice's expression had turned to that of a disappointed child.

"Oh, I see. Never mind then." Alice and Sora were dreadfully lost, Alice almost to the brink of tears. She looked most tired and scared. Sora got to his knees and faced Alice.

"Get on. I'll carry you." Alice seemed reluctant at first, but then accepted the offer with a warm heart. She climbed onto his back and wrapped her arms around his neck as he held onto her legs, and slowly rose from the ground and began to walk onwards. For possibly and hour, Sora had been carrying the sleeping Alice and walking in the woods. But he didn't mind. She wasn't heavy at all. But then Sora arrived at a strangely shaped tree, on one of its branches rested the Cheshire Cat. Sora, about to ask it a question, stopped him.

"Ah, don't speak. You don't want to wake Alice, do you?" He whispered quietly, pulling a loose branch which opened a secret passageway in the trees trunk. Inside was a garden, a hedge maze, and a castle of cards on the horizon. Curiosity boiling over, Sora made his way inside.


	3. Cheating

Slowly cracking the door open, Goofy had slowly peered his head inside the small room, watching the still sleeping Sora. The friends had started to worry. He had refused to eat and did nothing but sleep for the past two weeks. They found an empty bottle of sleeping pills on the nightstand and the keychain Sora had found. What if the Heartless decided to strike? Would he be ready? Sora had grown quite skinny in the past weeks, and he even went days without waking up. He would defiantly not have enough energy.

"Goofy, it's not such a good idea to wake him up. Just leave him alone." Leon said from the room across from Sora's, which he and Yuffie were staying in. Aerith, Yuffie and Donald were in the room as well. Goofy slowly closed the door and faced his friends.

"Gawrsh, I sure am worried about Sora." Aerith slowly rose to her feet, looking distressed.

"We all are too, Goofy. But we're just not sure what to do about it yet." She said, looking down at the floor. Donald had grown impatient of waiting for Sora.

"Ah, I say we just wake him up already, and we **keep** him up this time!" He yelled, starting to storm towards Sora's room. Yuffie had grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back.

"No way Donald. That's bad for Sora." She said, struggling to hold him. Aerith had looked at Leon then down at the three.

"I say we take him to a doctor. This could be very serious; more serious then we think." Leon nodded in agreement and picked up a phone.

"I'll call the doctor now."

----

Alice was still fast asleep on Sora's back as he spent the few minutes walking around in the hedge maze beyond the garden that he had first entered. This was possibly the most relaxing point of his day; walking in a hedge maze in a well flourished garden with calming fountains. No bizarre creatures and nonsense riddles to confuse him. Alice suddenly started to shift a bit in her sleep. Was she having a dream? Sora smiled as she woke from her slumber. A long yawn escaped from Alice as Sora slowly let her off of his back. The both of them stretched a bit before Alice sleepily looked at Sora, then at her surroundings. Alice, her eyes half open, slowly stretched her arms out again before waking almost completely.

"I am sorry for falling asleep for so long like that. I lost track of the time." Sora smiled down at her.

"It's no trouble. I didn't mind. You slept okay, right?" Alice happily nodded. She then took Sora by the hand and the two took a left in the maze. After a while of laughing, racing and resting, they came upon a strange sight indeed. Peering around a hedge, they saw a small tree with white roses growing on it. Around it were three gardeners painting the roses with red paint. They were strange gardeners at that; all flat. Why, they almost looked like cards! Sora instantly remembered them from a year back, when he first came to Wonderland. Card Guards.

'Quite curious! Whatever are they doing that for?" Alice thought to herself. Still not making themselves known, the two listened to the three argue.

"Look out, Five! Don't go splashing me with paint like that!"

"I couldn't help it, Three; Seven hit my elbow." Five said, pointing his brush at Seven.

"Oh that's right, Five. Always lay the blame on another!" Two said, throwing his brush down.

"You'd better not talk! Why, I've heard the Queen say you deserved to be beheaded just yesterday!" The three seemed to be in quite a fight. The quarrelling three had then noticed Sora and Alice watching them. The three had checked themselves, and around them, before bowing low before them. Alice walked up to them and lowered her head.

"If you don't mind my asking, please do tell. Why are you painting the roses red?" Five and Seven remained silent, then staring at Two. Two began in a low voice,

"Well you see Miss, we planted a white rose tree by mistake. And the Queen likes her roses red! And if the Queen were to find out, we'll all loose our heads for sure! So you see, we're trying a best to-" Suddenly Five, who had been anxiously looking across the garden, called out,

"The Queen! The Queen!" And then the three gardeners then threw themselves flat upon their faces, then to the sound of many footsteps. Alice thought it would be most respective to bow before the Queen, due to almost loosing her head before. So she also threw herself flat onto the ground, signalling Sora to do the same. As the five lay flat onto the ground, Sora and Alice had carefully lifted their heads to see. First came ten soldiers carrying clubs; these were all shaped like the three gardeners, flat with their hands and feet at the corners. Next the ten courtiers. These were decorated all over with diamonds, and walked two and two, as the soldiers did. After that came the Royal Children. There were ten of them, and the little ones came jumping along happily hand in hand in pairs, they were adorned with hearts. Next came the guests. Most of which were Kings and Queens, the most recognizable being The White Rabbit Alice was perusing not too long ago, and he was carrying a butter-drenched pocket watch.

'Oh my, it's The Rabbit! Oh, I do wish to follow him!' Alice thought to herself. She turned her head to Sora, who looked quite confused by all of this. The Rabbit ran past them without even noticing Alice in a hurried manner. Following the Rabbit was the Knave of Hearts, as Rabbit, very out of breath, introduced the Queen of Hearts to them.

"I here-by introduce, her majesty, her imperial highness, her grace, The Queen of Hearts." As the Queen walked out, the crowd of guards and others cheered before her. She seemed to enjoy it very much, as she waved happily and posed dramatically. Running quickly behind the Queen was a man no shorter than Rabbit himself. He slowly nudged him with a smile. Rabbit sighed and held out his arm.

"…And the King of Hearts." He introduced with no enthusiasm. There was no loud cheer, but a small 'Hurray!' from the crowd. Suddenly, The Queens stare suddenly turned from a blissful expression to that of an enraged and shocked one. She began marching towards the rose tree that the gardeners had been painting just earlier. As she grew closer, she began grinning maniacally. The stared viciously into one of the roses, and took hold of one as red paint draped her fingers. As she growled in anger, she turned to the group.

"Who's been painting my roses red?" She asked in a menacing tone. She then grabbed the tree and ripped it out by its roots, throwing it down in rage.

"Somebody will loose their head!" She screamed, looking down at the three gardeners.

"It t'was not me! It was Five!"

"No, the Two!"

"The Two you say?"

"Not me your grace! The Ace! The Ace!"

"Not me, not me!" The Queen had had enough of it.

"That's enough! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!" The Queen yelled, as the crowd cheered when the guards dragged them off. The Queen seemed to enjoy the attention quite a lot; as her expression quickly changed from rage to joy. Sora and Alice didn't know what to think of the situation. They rose to their feet and Alice protested against the situation.

"Come now, surely the situation isn't as bad as you make it out to be! There's no reason to behead the-" The Queen had quickly turned her head towards Sora and Alice.

"Why, if it isn't you two again?" She said happily, before she glared most unpleasantly at Sora.

"Come to steal my heart again, have you boy?" Sora sighed and folded his arms behind his head.

"Look, for the last time, I never tried to steal your heart! Those were the HEARTLESS."

"NO TALKING BACK! DO YOU WISH TO LOOSE YOUR HEAD!?" She screamed, making Sora jump. Alice tried her best to make the situation a little less hectic.

"Um, your majesty?" As The Queen violently faced her, Alice quickly curtsied, remembering a past experience with the matter.

"Perhaps we could discuss this over some nice tea and-"

"Shall we play a game?" The Queen bluntly interrupted Alice. Her stare wandered off to Sora again and she leaned in closer to him.

"Do you play croquet, my boy?" She asked softly with a smile.

"Well, uh, n-"

"DO YOU!?"

"Yes your grace." Sora lied. He has never played a game of croquet in his life. In fact, he never heard the word before, or knew its meaning. But it was better if he kept his head.

"Then let the games begin!" She bellowed, grabbing Sora and Alice by the arms and dragging them along, the King struggling to keep up. With the card guards cheering, they brought out the croquet equipment, which were live flamingos and hedgehogs. The cards scattered about and laid flat on the ground, and then arched like hoops. Sora leaned closely to Alice and whispered.

"Do people really play Croquet this way?"

"No, but it's the Queens way."

The Queen walked over and grabbed the red flamingo, Alice next taking the blue one, and Sora taking the yellow one. The Queen, about to swing her flamingo, stopped suddenly and faced Sora.

"I WANT THE YELLOW ONE!!!" She screamed, much like a spoiled child. Sora, looking at his flamingo, looked back up at the Queen with a confused expression.

"Does it really matter?"

"OFF WITH HIS-"

"Okay, okay, take it. Er, your grace." He said, handing it to her. She quickly snatched it out of his hand as he took the red one.

"Kids these days…" She muttered under her breath, ready to swing. She took aim, and swung as hard as she could, spinning around in mid-air. Naturally, she missed the hedgehog. So save those around her from being beheaded, The King ran up to the hedgehog and nudged it to move, and it started to run then roll, and the card guards were moving as 'hoops' so she could win.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Sora leaned in closely to Alice.

"No, she's cheating." After the hedgehog came to a stop, the crowd cheered and the Queen bounced around bowing and cheering herself on. Alice and Sora thought it would be best to clap for the Queen; they'd rather keep their heads. She faced Sora and smiled.

"It's your turn." Sora lowered his head and bowed.

"Yes your grace." He held the 'mallet; in many different ways, before finally grabbing its legs. Sora then jumped into the air and swung it around with all of his might, before coming crashing down to the ground. While mid-spin, Sora hand released the bird and it went flying so far, it would probably never be found again. Poor bird. The Queen smiled to herself and laughed.

"I thought you knew how to play." Sora, still dizzy, faced The Queen.

"I was just doing what you did. You mean you're not supposed to spin around like a maniac?" Alice had laughed lightly and the Queen obviously didn't find it funny at all. She turned a deep shade of red.

"OFF WITH HIS-"

"Oh, your majesty? If I may, he was just going by your way! After all, it's always your way! Right, your majesty?" Alice said, adding a pleasant curtsy. The Queen began to smile.

"Yes, my child, you are correct." Alice smiled down at Sora. He was lucky. The Queen shook her head and smiled. As she walked around, to receive cheers from the guards, following the Queen was the Cheshire Cat; more-so his smile. As his body slowly appeared, he smiled and turned to Sora.

"So, how are you enjoying the game with The Queen?" Sora sighed and folded his arms.

"Not at all." The Cheshire Cat smiled and lifted his ear.

"Beg pardon?" Sora then raised his voice.

"I said not at all!" The Queen overheard and faced him.

"Who are you talking to?" Sora pointed behind her.

"The Cheshire Cat!" As soon as the Queen turned her head, The Cheshire Cat vanished before getting noticed. She turned again and stormed over to him.

"I warn you boy! If I loose my temper, you lose your head! Understand?!" She yelled, and Sora nodded quickly and bowed. The Queen had faced Alice now.

"Your turn, my dear." The Queen said. Slightly nervous, Alice smiled and curtsied once again.

"Yes your majesty." She said, and curtsied quickly, grabbing onto the light-blue flamingo. Taking her aim, Alice swung the 'mallet.' At least she tried to. The flamingo went limp with a quiet laugh. She straightened it out and took another swing. It went limp again. Alice was loosing her patience.

"Do you enjoy doing this?" She asked the bird. The flamingo nodded and added a silly laugh.

"Well I don't!" She said, using more force to straighten the flamingo. She held it down low, and tried to swing my holding its neck. As she was ready to swing, the flamingo lifted Alice up with its long legs and started laughing, as well as the crowd.

"Stop it!" Alice yelled. The flamingo was obviously getting a real kick out of this. It started kicking its legs, tickling Alice's stomach, causing her to laugh hysterically. Alice's grip still on its neck, she started shaking it and hitting its head against the grass to get it to stop. The Queen was loosing her patience as well.

"THAT'S ENOUGH!!!" She bellowed. In shock, the flamingo straightened out. The perfect opportunity! Alice swung the 'mallet' and the hedgehog went soaring across the field. The Queen shook her hands with fear. She didn't want to loose! Everything goes her way! The guards jumped to the side and flattened out as Alice's hedgehog rolled to them. As it slowed to a stop, The Queen looked triumphant. 

"What? That's gotta be cheating!" Sora yelled. Alice quickly covered his mouth as the Queen, face red with furry, faced them.

"WHAT DID HE SAY!?" She threw the 'mallet' down as hard as she could. Alice pulled away Alice's hand.

"You heard me! You're cheating!" Sora yelled, throwing his arms down. The Queens face had turned crimson red with fury, and the guards were in such a panic; it was as if a calamity were about to strike. And it was very well about to. They were hiding behind one another, trying to get as far as possible from the Queens blind rage. Alice had quickly hid behind Sora as she watched The Queen ready to explode from rage. Then she screamed so loudly the closest guards hand been knocked over from the rage.

"OFF WITH THIER HEADS!!!!!!!" She screamed, pointing at the two. As the guards, mostly grouping out of fear, pointed their clubs at them. Alice squeezed Sora's hand and she got as close to him as she could. Sora, with a determined look on his face, faced the Queen.

"Your grace? If I may, I have one thing to say!"

"Well what is it!?" She screamed. Sora faced Alice and grabbed her arm.

"**RUN!**" Sora tugged her arm and began running as fast as he could, Alice running right behind him. They didn't even risk looking back. All they could hear from the Queen was her fury and ordering the guards to follow them. Sora ran straight for the hedge maze, for it was the only way out. They knew very well that the Queen and her guards were chasing after them. They had to be quick, and they would reach a dead-end sooner or later. Time to cheat. Sora stopped so suddenly Alice had ran into him she didn't expect him to stop. Sora lifted her up and set her onto of the hedge wall in front of them. Luckily it wasn't very high, but it did require a lot of climbing. Sora then climbed up the hedge himself before scanning the maze. The Queen and her guards were not too far away. Sora looked for the exit. There it was! Sora lifted Alice up and carried her on his back again as he jumped from hedge to hedge, eventually reaching the exit. Sora set Alice back down, and the two ran through. But they didn't stop to rest yet; as long as The Queen of Hearts was chasing them, they were not safe. They again entered the woods and ran down a different path each time.

"Sora! We should go and see Caterpillar! He'll tell us what to do!" Alice said between breaths. Sora didn't know what good it would do to see a caterpillar, but Alice knew Wonderland much better than he did. Sora heard the guards approaching. Sora jumped behind a near-by bush, which turned out to be a living creature, much like other bizarre creatures he attempted to hide behind. Sora looked at Alice and pointed to a large mushroom.

"This isn't alive, is it?"

"No, it's not." Sora jumped behind it and crawled underneath it, as did Alice. The mushroom was large enough to hide them both without being seen. After a minute of waiting, the guards and the Queen came running past, still searching for them. After waiting until the coast was clear, Sora and Alice slowly crawled from underneath. Alice brushed off her dress and faced Sora.

"Alright, we're in the mushroom forest now. That means that Caterpillar is close by. He will help us! No one in Wonderland is wiser." Alice surveyed the forest before remembering the path, and jumped into the foliage of the forest, Sora following. After fighting many branches and overgrown flowers, they approached a clearing with many mushroom, the largest one having a large caterpillar on it. It was sitting quietly with its arms folded, smoking a long hookah and taking no notice of them at all; until they attempted to make themselves known of course. The two made their ways towards the mushroom, and stood in front of it. Alice stretched herself up on tip-toe and peered over the ledge of the mushroom and up at the caterpillar. Sora resting and elbow on the mushroom (he was much taller than Alice of course) and waited. The Caterpillar had looked down at them, but said nothing. Until finally, he took the hookah out of his mouth and addressed them with a languid sleepy voice.

"Ah, Alice. Welcome back." His stare slowly turned to Sora.

"And who are _you_?" Sora smiled and replied.

"I'm Sora. And you're Caterpillar, right?" He nodded slowly, eyes closed. Alice smiled.

"Well Mister Caterpillar, we came to ask you something." He opened one eye slowly.

"What is it?"

"Well you see, we are trying to hide from the Queen of Hearts! She wants us to be beheaded, you know."

"I do not know."

"Yes, that's why I am explaining it."

"Explain yourself."

"Why, I am doing my very best to do so! We made the Queen mad and she wants us beheaded!" Alice said, looking rather annoyed.

"Why would you do that?" He said, opening his other eye.

"We very well didn't intend to do it! It was an accident, you see."

"I do not." Sora threw his hands down. This was going no where.

"Look, we're running AWAY from the Queen of Hearts, so we don't loose our HEADS. Now you tell us how to get AWAY from HER."

"I am?" He asked, looking confused.

"Yes! Now how do we!?" Said Sora, throwing his arms down on the mushroom very hard. The caterpillar yawned, and pointed at a mushroom patch with one of his many hands.

"Go find the mushroom." Alice must have known what he said, because she instantly ran to the patch for a mushroom. Sora had another question to ask.

"I doubt you know, but why do I come here? In my dreams I mean." Caterpillar looked quite surprised that he asked. He leaned down and replied,

"The reason? It's very simple! You and Alice share Wonderland." Sora looked over at Alice, then back at Caterpillar.

"What? How did that happen? Why did it happen?"

"Why? Because you made such an impact on her life. You are very important to her, and you're always on her mind, and vice-versa! Therefore, you both share this world." Sora hand looked over at Alice again, who was still looking for the mushroom.

"I don't understand."

"I can't make it any clearer." He said, placing the hookah back in his mouth as Alice walked over, holding two mushrooms. 

"One side will make us grown shorter, and the other will make us grow taller. This way, we can find our ways out and away from the Queen!" Sora smiled and took a bite from the mushroom. Suddenly, he grew very tall that he knocked Alice over and even a few trees. Sora was laughing as was Alice, and a very angry looking Caterpillar crawled away.

---

Hours after the call was made, they got a knock on the door. Leon rose from his chair and answered it. In the doorway was a doctor and two nurses. The nurses were young and the doctor looked no more than thirty.

"Are you the one who called about the boy?" Leon sighed and nodded.

"Yes, he's in the other room." Leon replied, pointing to Sora's door. The doctor slowly opened the door and looked at the sleeping Sora.

"Be careful. He's gets violent when you wake him up sometimes." The doctor quietly and slowly walked in, and got to his knees. Sora was smiling in his sleep. The doctor slowly raised his arm and shook Sora's lightly.

"Sora. Wake up." He said. Sora's eyes slowly opened and he jumped upright instantly, turning his head this way and that, looking down angrily at the doctor.

"Hey, why did you wake me up!?" Sora yelled. The nurses took him by the arms and began walking him out of the room.

"Hey, hey! Put me down!" Leon and the others watched as they took Sora.

"Don't worry. We'll take good care of him at our clinic. He'll be better before you know it." He said, and walked down the hallway, as Aerith and Yuffie turned their heads and Leon sighed. Would he really be alright?

Or would he get worse?


	4. Sanity

Forcibly pulled into the room, Sora had taken instant objection to these people. Nothing was wrong with him. There were pills and medicine on the counter, a replica of a skull, a chair and patients bed. The doctor was jotting things down on a clipboard. He didn't even turn his head to face him.

"Please take a seat, Sora." He said, pointing to the bed. Sora quietly sat on it. He was still writing things down. Obviously it was about him. After a minute, the doctor turned to face him, still holding the clipboard.

"So Sora, tell me what's wrong." Sora looked at him strangely.

"Nothing's wrong." He said calmly. 

"Then tell me, why do you sleep so much?"

"Because I see somebody close to me." He began writing down faster.

"I see. Now, is that person that's close to you dead?"

"No. She's alive. Her name is Alice. But I haven't seen her in real life for a long time." He wrote down more.

"Go on." Sora really didn't want to answer. But he didn't really have a choice.

"Well, if first happened a month ago. I thought it was like any other dream. But in the third dream, she gave a gift. A keychain. And when I woke up, it was in my hands!" The doctor wrote down a long description of that sentence. It was staring to bother Sora a little.

"I see. Your friends told me that you originally had that, but the dream jogged your memory. Maybe you fell asleep with it in your hands and forgot." Sora slammed his hands down on the bed. He heard that enough times already.

"No! She gave it to me in my dreams! I'm serious! Why doesn't anyone believe me?!" The doctor wrote more things down.

"And stop writing things about me!" Of course, he wrote more. Sora was slowly loosing his patience.

"So, you haven't been eating because you sleep all day?"

"Yeah. But I'm not even hungry when I wake up. I eat plenty in the dreams; and then I'm full." The doctor wrote much more down. Though he did eat in dreams, he didn't eat in reality. He was now very skinny and pale.

"Okay look. I'm tried and I want to go. Can we stop the interview?" The doctor put down the clip board finally, and turned his head to him.

"Sora, I can't let you leave until I find out what's wrong with you." He had it. That crossed the line.

"NOTHING is wrong with me! I'm just FINE!" He yelled. As the doctor tried to reason with Sora, his friends waited and listened outside the door.

"What could be wrong with him?" Donald had asked, looking concerned. Yuffie was struck with an idea.

"Oooh, I know! Maybe it's Organization XIII that's doing this!" Leon looked down, then out the window, folding his arms and then facing the group.

"It's possible, but not very likely. It doesn't seem like the thing they would do." Yuffie faced Leon.

"You don't know that! We hardly know anything about them! So it's very likely!" Aerith had an idea as well. But not for the cause.

"Maybe we can take Sora to Wonderland. You know, to help him come to his senses." The group had agreed on the plan. All but Leon.

"That's a good idea. But the Gummi Ship is in terrible condition from the last adventure. It won't be flyable for at least a month." The group had turned to Donald, who looked guilty.

"…Hey, it wasn't all my fault! We were swarmed and crashed!" This had lead to Sora, Donald and Goofy being stranded at Hallow Bastion while the ship was going through repairs, possibly leaving other worlds open for attack, putting them under stress.

"Maybe you think it's the stress doing this to Sora?" Goofy had asked. So many options and only one answer that they didn't know.

----

"Yes please, step in." The doctor had said. The group had walked into the small room. Sora was still in there, leaning against the wall and staring out of the window.

"Hey Sora!" Yuffie called out, waving hello at him. He simply turned his head at her, smiled and waved slowly, and then he faced the window again.

"He was pretty aggressive, so I gave him some pills to help him relax." Leon and taken steps towards the doctor.

"Are you sure that's such a good idea? Sleep should be the last thing he's getting." The doctor had reached for the papers he had written about Sora and faced him.

"I want to observe him while he sleeps. To see his behaviour." He signalled Sora to follow him, and Sora sleepily followed. The friends wanted to stay with him, but it was best if they let him be.

The doctor had guided Sora to a small room much like the hotel room. As Sora slowly jumped on the bed and wrapped himself under the sheets, he easily fell asleep from the medication.

---

Sora awoke to the early morning light shining in streams through the blinds, and a tired doctor shaking him awake.

"Sora, did you sleep well?" Sora slowly stretched and yawned, and faced the doctor. 

"Yeah, thanks."

"Any dreams with the girl involved?" Sora laid back down and stretched like a cat on the bed.

"Nope. Not tonight." Sora wasn't lying. It was normal for him to go nights without seeing Alice. The doctor had his clipboard (Which Sora hated very much) by the nightstand and wrote a sentence down.

"Sora, are you tired enough to go back to sleep?" Sora was already half asleep.

"Yeah.." The doctor sat up, quickly grabbed his clipboard and left the room. Sora had smiled to himself and drifted off to sleep, anxious to see Alice.

The sudden change in Sora's surroundings hadn't surprised him at all; he had expected it. From the last adventure, Sora was still in his large size. The trouble was getting small again; he knew that the Queen and her soldiers would still be looking for them at one point or another. And he didn't exactly blend in either. He couldn't shift from his uncomfortable position. His legs were crushing mushrooms and his head passed the treetops. He felt something on the top of his head. It was a bird's nest full of eggs. And also in the nest was the mother bird, who didn't look too happy with her nest on Sora's head.

"Ack! SERPENT! SERPENT!" She yelled, flailing her wings this way and that, her feathers flying about."

"Hey, hey!, calm down! I'm not a serpent!" Sora said.

"Hah! Not a serpent indeed! SERPENT! HELP! SERPENT!!!" Sora lifted a nest off of his head, making the mother dive-bomb and pecked violently at Sora.

"Look, I'm putting it down!" Sora gently set it back down on the tree branch, as the mother angrily flew after it. Sora forgot how to shrink back to his normal size, and he was stuck this way until someone found him. After a minute, Sora felt something tapping on his shoulder. He turned his eyes to his shoulder to see little Alice sitting happily next to him. She waved playfully and smiled. Sora was glad to see her. He didn't know how she got on his shoulder, but he was still happy. She tried to say something to him, but she was far too small to hear. She reached into her pocket and waved a mushroom in her hand. He slowly turned his head and opened his mouth, and Alice tossed the mushroom into his mouth. He chewed and swallowed it, and his body quickly began to shrink to the size he was before. He landed on his back on the ground with a thud. Once Sora opened his eyes, the only thing he saw was Alice falling from the sky. Before Sora could even act, she had fallen right on him. She fell into a daze before realizing what she had fallen on.

"Sora! Goodness, I'm so sorry I fell on you!" Sora quickly shook off the pain and smiled at the worried Alice.

"You don't have to say you're sorry." He said, watching her smile and helped her stand up. Alice put the mushrooms in her pockets.

"I'll save these for later." She said. Hand in hand, the two continued their stroll through the mushroom forest.

----

"Well doctor, what do you think?" Leon had asked, the trio looking frantic and worried. Goofy and Donald had refused to join them; they wanted to watch over Sora. He had a clipboard in his hands, and he was carefully looking over the pages. He slowly faced them.

"We think it might be Schizophrenia." He said. Yuffie looked confused.

"Huh? What's Schiz…zop…frenia?" She asked, looking even more confused.

"It's a mental illness when you see, and hear things, that are not really there, and when you think someone is controlling your mind. Sora is showing those signs." Leon and Aerith looked devastated, while Yuffie still had trouble understanding.

"Soo… He's going crazy?"

"I wouldn't put it that way. The term is mentally ill. We'll put him on some medication and keep him under close watch. He'll be fine." Though the friends trusted the doctor, and the medication Sora was taking, he grew worse and worse by the day. He was prone to talking to himself constantly, and convincing the others that Alice was in the room with them. The friends were almost convinced Sora would never return back to normal.

----

With a long yawn and a stretch, Alice walked along side Sora as the two explored the deep forest. Alice seemed to be very distracted. Then she slowly strolled off the path and walked into the shadows.

"Hey Alice, wait up!" He called out, running after her. After he caught up with her, it turns out she was following the Cheshire Cat. His stripes slowly started to form, as the other stripes followed. His smile slowly came into view and his eyes popped open.

"Lost in the forest are we; or running from fate?"

"We're not running from anyone." Sora said, looking confused.

"Need I remind you, you ARE running from someone. A lot of someones." The Cat said, pointing behind them. Instantly, they heard someone scream "FREEZE" at them. Sora quickly turned his head to the sound of spears loading and the sight of card guards holding them. Alice began to cling to his arm. Sora never did trust the Cheshire Cat from the first adventure, and he didn't now. The guards were slowly closing in on them. The second he pulled out the Keyblade, five of the guards quickly threw their spears in his direction. Alice screamed in fright, hiding behind Sora and cowering. He couldn't risk Alice getting hurt. He dispelled the Keyblade and put his hands in the air slowly.

"Okay, I give up." Alice opened her eyes and grabbed his arm.

"No, Sora! Don't go with them! I do want you to keep your head! However will I be able to talk to you if you loose it?" Alice said, trying her best to help him. Sora had to calm her down.

"Don't worry, everything will be okay. I promise." Alice almost didn't believe him. She knew the Queen was such an unreasonable woman. Even saying the wrong thing would cost you your head. But she trusted him more than anything. She slowly put her hands in the air, and walked next to Sora as the guards lead them out of the forest and to the castle.

"Be prepared for the Queens Trial."

"Trial? You mean a court?" Alice looked slightly nervous. It was like the first day they met; Alice was a defendant on trial and he had to save her.

"We'll be prepared." Sora said. He didn't know how this would turn out.

---

"Order! Order in the court!" The Queen bellowed, the room falling quiet. The jury had fallen silent and the guards kept their posts to watch over Alice and Sora.

"The court finds the defendants…" Sora and Alice looked hopeful.

**"GUILTY AS CHARGED!"** And their hopes were crushed.

"For the crimes of insulting The Queen and a past incident of heart theft-"

"What? But that's completely unfair!" Alice yelled. The Queen looked very impatient.

"Well have you anything to say in your defence?" Alice found this was just like the last time. Sora took a step forward.

"We didn't insult you. And those were HEARTLESS! Can't you understand that?" Sora yelled. The Queen had it. She turned read and slammed her hands down.

"HOW DARE YOU TALK BACK TO ME!!!!!" She screamed, Sora taking a step back. The Queen faced the jury, then the two again.

"Don't we get a verdict first?" Sora asked. The Queen smiled.

"Sentence first, verdict afterwards." Sora didn't know the rules of the court very well, but he knew that had to be wrong.

"Hey, that's not the right way!" He yelled, the Queen turning red again, bashing her fists down viciously.

"ALWAYS, ALWAYS---"

"Your way, you're Majesty?" Alice said politely, adding a curtsey. The Queen regained her smile as she slowly nodded.

"Yes my child, you are correct. **OFF WITH THEIR---**" She was stopped again by Alice.

"Please, your majesty, we can reason this out by-" The Queens eyes turned to Sora, as she grinned evil.

"I'll let you both go free, IF I can have that Key of yours, boy." Sora and Alice both looked at the Kingdom Key, and Sora faced the Queen, then he smiled.

"Okay, here you go." He said, tossing it to the Queen. She had trouble catching it, but she caught it. She held it in her hand and examined it carefully.

"Yes, yes, very nice. Alright, the two of you may-" Suddenly, the Keyblade flashed and vanished from her hands, and re-appeared in Sora's hand. Sora and Alice started to laugh, and the Queen turned red with fury.

"How DARE you trick me! YOU FOOLS!" Sora turned his head, smiled, and folded his arms behind his head.

"Hey, it's not my fault. The Keyblade chooses its master. And it obviously doesn't like you at all." The Queen growled, and Alice giggled a little. The Queen through Alice and menacing glare, then Alice turned her head looking up, putting on an innocent face and putting her hands in her pockets. She gave a slight "Oh!" and pulled out the items inside.

"The mushrooms!" She quietly said, and stuffed them in her mouth. The Queen slammed her hands down.

"ENOUGH!!!!! OFF WITH THEIR HEADS!!!!!" The Queen had screamed, guards pointing their spears at them. Suddenly, Alice began to shake, and she began to grow very tall; why, even her head even hit the tall ceiling! Every person in the court had gone into shock; even the Queen and King themselves. The shaking guards pointed their spears up at her, as the King (the Queen was holding his in front of her as a shield) began to shake. 

"I'm s-sorry, Alice, but r-rule forty-two states that all persons a mile high must leave the court." Everybody looked at Alice.

"I'm NOT a mile high."

"You are." Said the King.

"Nearly two miles high!" Said the Queen. Alice folder her arms and turned her head.

"Well, I will not go at any rate. Besides, that's not a regular rule; you invented it just now." Alice posted.

"I-it's the oldest rule in the book!" The King said, still shaking.

"Then it should be the very first rule." Alice said, looking back down at them with a glare, making them all jump. Sora, to himself, was smiling.

"W-well has the jury reached a verdict?"

"No!" said the Queen. "Sentence first--verdict afterwards. That's the rule."

"Oh, that's complete nonsense!' said Alice loudly. "The idea of having the sentence first!"

"Hold your tongue!" said the Queen, turning a deep shade of purple.

"I WILL NOT." said Alice.

**"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!"** the Queen yelled at the top of her lungs. Nobody moved an inch. After the Queen screamed it again, the guards reluctantly began throwing their spears at Alice. They were merely toothpicks to her.

"Who cares for you? You're nothing but a pack of cards!" At the comment, the whole pack of guards rose up into the air, and came flying down upon her. She gave a little scream, half of fright and half of anger, and tried to beat them away. The scattered everywhere, as Alice then put her hands on her hips and glared at the Queen.

"I shan't listen to a thing you say. Why, you're not a Queen! You're nothing but a pompous-"Alice had started to shrink with each word."-rude, old ty-…tyrant…" Alice had just noticed that shrunk back to her normal size now. The Queen of Hearts had laughed viciously to herself, as Alice nervously laughed, twiddling her fingers.

"You were saying, my dear?" The Queen said in a menacing tone, still smiling evilly.

"Uh… you look fantastic your highness!" The Queen then pointed at her, as the guards then pointed their spears at Alice; Sora obviously had been forgotten for a time.

**"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!!!"** The Queen yelled in pure rage. The guards then grabbed hold of Alice by the arms, and Sora quickly summoned the Keyblade and fought them off, trying to reach Alice. He used Thundaga on a group of guards, and Fira on another. But there were far too many guards, as they swarmed Sora and began to drag him away from Alice.

"Hey, let go!" They didn't listen, and Sora tried his hardest to free himself. Sora closed his eyes, and screamed "GIVE ME STRENGHT!" as Sora began to glow viciously, and the guards were scattered from the light, summoning a drive. Suddenly, Sora's outfit changed to that of a red one, and he now wielded two Keyblades. His speed was increased as well, as he darted across the room and swiftly attacked each incoming guard.

"Don't just stand there you fools! ATTACK HIM!!!!!" All the guards then began attacking Sora, and he had no trouble taking them down. He was slowly reaching where Alice was being held.

"Hang on Alice!" He yelled, determination rising. He was within arms reach of Alice, when suddenly, his drive had worn off, and has his energy. His extended arm had weakly fallen to the floor, with the rest of his body. He felt like he was about to pass out. But he couldn't let Alice get beheaded. He tried to stand up but he couldn't. The guards slowly began to lift him by the arms and lifted him up.

"Throw him in the dungeons! We'll take care of him later!" The guards then nodded and began to drag Sora away from Alice. Sora could hardly stir up the energy to move his head. All he could watch was Alice being set onto a table, her back facing up, he head held down. A guard had walked over, carrying a very large axe. Spotting the axe, Alice released a scream of fright, and Sora's heart skipped five beats. No! He wouldn't let this happen! Sora used every fragment of his willpower to break away from the guards grip. (and for cardboard guards they were very strong) He managed to pull away, but his legs felt so heavy and weak from the drive. He only watched in horror as the axe was raised high in the air, and the Queen yelled in fury,

"OFF WITH HER HEAD!!!!" Alice then screamed as the axe was slowly brought down.

"NO!!!! ALICE!!!!" Sora screamed. Suddenly his eyes flashed open and we awoke in the hospital room. Donald and Goofy were next to him, and the doctor had been the one to wake him up. Sora felt his heart and mind shatter instantly. 'Alice has lost her head. Alice has lost her head. Alice has lost her head. And now she's dead. And now she's dead. And now she's dead.' That's all his mind could say.

"Wak! Sora's awake!" Donald yelled. Sora could hardly bare to look at anyone now.

"Sora, you okay? You were screaming a lot while you were sleeping. And your clothes even changed..." He slowly said, after receiving a glare from the doctor.

"Sora, you're very ill. Please, you must-" Sora had then grabbed the doctor by the arms.

"Why did you wake me up!? Now she's gone! Alice is dead!" Sora cried, his grip slowly loosening as he held his head with his hands, tears streaming down his face.

"Sora, that wasn't real. It was just a dream." The doctor calmly said, as if he didn't care. Sora lifted his head, his eyes tearful and he looked rageful.

"IT. WAS. NOT. A. DREAM." Sora yelled, standing up from the bed, crossing the room and kicking the door open, and running out and down the hall.

"Sora! Wait!" Donald yelled, running after him, Goofy and the doctor following. Sora was blindly running down the hall, running up and down stairs until he reached a medicine storage room. Sora opened the locked door with his Keyblade and stepped inside and locked the door behind him. Sora scanned the shelves until he found a bottle marked 'SLEEPING PILLS.' He smiled viciously to himself, and grabbed the bottle and opened the lid, throwing it across the room. He didn't know why he was doing this, but he wanted to.

"Dreams or not, dreams or not." He sang to himself.

"Alice is alive, she still has her head. I'll go say hi." He sang. He laughed manically and he then held the bottle to his mouth, and swallowed all the pills inside. He stood still for a moment, then he heard banging on the door.

"Sora! Open the door! Now!" The doctor yelled. Sora just kept smiling. Suddenly, Sora's eyes widened. The intense ecstasy of pain inside of his body caused him to fall to his knees screaming, he felt his body heat skyrocket as his cheeks turned red and his body began to sweat. Sora couldn't handle the pain as he held his stomach and screamed louder. Suddenly, he felt everything stop. His body just froze, his eyes began to close, as he fell over to his side, completely unconscious. His last waking thoughts were 'I'll see Alice.' 

----

"Why did he do such a thing!?" Yuffie screamed, beginning to cry. Aerith was next to Sora's bed, stroking his hand, looking tearful. Donald and Goofy were next to her too. Leon was leaning against a wall, trying to hide his face.

"Is he going to… die?" Aerith asked, looking terrified.

"No. He fell into a coma from the overdose." The doctor said, turning his head away from Sora.

"Well, when will he wake up?" Yuffie asked.

"Who knows? Maybe in a few days, a few months, a few years, or never."

"You don't know!? Some doctor you are." Yuffie said, folding her arms and glaring at him.

"It's not my fault. We just have to wait. It's all we can do." Everyone in the room looked down at Sora, fearful for the Keyblade Bearer and what was going through his mind.


	5. Vorpal

What was happening? Was this another dream? He was floating in a void of nothingness. The air was chilling and brisk. Colours slowly started to seep into the void. A swirling decaying vortex of greens, blues and blacks had appeared. Everything was then moving at a fast pace it made his stomach turn this was and that. His eyes could barely stay open; it was making him feel very sick. Suddenly, unfamiliar, un-welcomed and deep voices threw insults and remarks at Sora. 

_'It's all your fault… it's all your fault…'_ the voices chanted. What was his fault? What happened to Alice? No, it couldn't be. She's alright. He knew she was. Wasn't she? The voices grew louder and the voices were more so screams than chants. Sora shut his eyes tightly and covered his ears. The sound waves still got through to him. Sora pushed more pressure onto his ears and curled up into a floating ball. He tried to drown out the voices with his own, telling them it was a lie, and that she was alright. Alice was alive. Alice was alive. Alice was alive. No matter what he said, it was as if the voices were inside his own head. What was his insanity causing his mind to do? Sora couldn't take it. He let out a loud yell and threw his arms down in rage, sorrow, and desperate unfulfilled hope.

"ALICE!!!!!!" Suddenly, everything; the vortex, the voices, had completely frozen for a point in time. Then, in the surrounding vortex, large cracks began to appear as if it were glass. Sora's expression had changed to that of fear. Just then, the cracks began to spread viciously around him. The vortex then shattered in an ear-splitting crash into shards of colours, as Sora fell straight down into the void headfirst, helplessly.

---

Sora awoke lying on the cold floor. The void, the voices; had it vanished? Sora moaned, rubbing his head and sleepily surveying his surroundings. The room was small and square; much different from his previous room. The walls were padded, with blood splatters on every wall. It was much like an asylum ward. Was he in an asylum now? There was no bed or table; just a window barred shut with thick rusty metal bars. Next to him on the floors were child's play toys.

Among which were playing dice, jacks, tattered cards and spelling blocks. The blocks read the words 'Mom & Dad', and another set read the word 'Dead.' How curious. Next to the blocks was a book with worn out pages and a stuffed tattered rabbit lying atop of it. A bottle with the words 'Drink me' on it lay shattered on the floor, and a pill-like item with the words 'Eat me' on it. The last thing scattered on the floor was a small pocket watch. The frame was blood-stained and chipped, and the glass had shattered with the gears ripped out and spread across the room. Whose toys were these? The toys of a demented morbid child? It was almost depressing. But he'd rather not think of depressing thoughts. Such as Alice's death for example. Of course the thoughts could never leave his head. Sora closed his eyes and held his head, resting his forehead on his knees. He was responsible. It was his fault. It WAS his fault. He couldn't stay here. He wanted to leave. His eyes turned to the large door. He didn't notice it before. He sighed, rose to his feet and tried pushing the door open. No luck.

With Keyblade in hand, (though it hardly looked like a key anymore and more-so like a sharp sword) he unlocked the door in front of him, but not before looking back at the toys. Did they have some important meaning? Forgotten cherished memories? He turned his head pushed the heavy door open and stepped out of the doorway, only to find an unpleasant surprise. There was no floor, but a vortex, much like the one before, with a swirling array of lavenders, purples and blues, and he fell straight into it with a scream of shock. After some time, Sora fell down a thinner vortex and fell onto a pile of leaves on the ground with great force.

"Owww… what just happened?" Sora tried to stand up, but the impact of the fall still hurt. Where was he? He sat back down and surveyed his new surroundings. Nothing put a group of glowing mushrooms by his side and a wooden pathway in front of his sight, Sora, using his force of will to shake off the pain, stood up and walked into the hall.

As lanterns his guiding light, he made his way into a small area, inhabited by two houses and a small gnome like creature. He stepped up to the creature and tapped his shoulder.

"Hey, can you tell me where I am?" The creature had looked at him and stared.

"Aye, you must not be from around here. This is the Village of the Damned." Sora took a moment to notice the decaying village, and its condition.

"That's not a very cheerful name for a village." Said Sora, raising an eyebrow.

"Well this isn't a very cheerful place!" He said with a sigh, and walked off. Turning his head, he walked up to a thermal shaft and it lifted him into the air. He floated over it, and landed on the other side. He spotted, yet again, another gnome. It seemed that he'd rather not have Sora here.

"Stir up no trouble stranger. The Red Queens agents are ruthless. My, how curious, I just said that not too long ago."

"Red Queen? Wait, you did? To who?" Said Sora, turning his head this way and that for another person.

"I said it to a girl just older than you are. You best be going; the agents will sure find you as a trouble." Before Sora could ask who she was, he wandered off to drown in sorrow, muttering something about death and freedom. Sighing, Sora walked down the plank and into another hallway. Something caught his eye, it was behind an astray tree-like root. A strange object it was, a red glowing item with blue essence in the centre. The instant he touched it, it vanished into thin air. Suddenly, his once sore body as now free of pain. Then he heard talking. He couldn't hear all of it; only a fragment of it. He didn't want to get caught, so he stood flat against the wall and listened carefully.

"… Reject only your ignorance and you may survive." Stepping forward, and through the passage, he caught sight of someone, a girl just older than he was. Was this the girl that the gnome had told him about? Her dress was a deep blue; blood stained at best. She also wore black thigh-high boots and a golden necklace bearing the omega symbol. Her hair was a dark shade of reddish-brown, and her eyes were the vilest shade of emerald that put Maleficent's fire to shame. In her pale hand was a rusty blood stained knife. Despite the chills surging down his spine, he felt at ease. It was as if he knew her. It took him a moment to realise just who this girl was. Sora's eyes had opened widely he gasped as his heart skipped six beats.

"Alice?" He gaze never left her face. She wasn't dead! She was alive! The joy inside him was about to boil over like a witches cauldron. Ecstatic with joy, he ran down the rickety planks and behind the seemingly daydreaming Alice.

"Hey Alice, it's me!" He said, grabbing her by the shoulder, which he realised wasn't such of a great idea. In an instant, Alice turned around and thrust her knife into his shoulder with force of rage. He let out a desperate scream of pain and grabbed his shoulder, falling to his knees in pain, and anger.

"…Sora! Oh, I beg your pardon! Are you alright?" She fell to her knees, possibly of shock and worry. This was Alice, but she seemed so… different.

"You just STABBED me in the arm!! Do you think I'm alright!?" Sora tried his best to cover the bleeding wound. His mind was running so fast he didn't know what to say first.

"I am sorry. Around here you can't be too careful. I mistook you for a threat. But that aside, why are you here? It's been so long… I've given up all hope of seeing you again, and of everything else." She said, turning her head and folding her arms.

"I don't even know why I'm here. And how are you alive? I saw you! You were about to be beheaded by The Queen! I wasn't there to save you, and you died!" Said Sora, feeling terribly guilty. Alice faced him again and put her hand to her chin.

"I remember that day. The axe had slipped at the last second, and I managed to escape. Then I woke up next to my sister by the riverbank! I do say it was foolish of me to chase that rabbit. Of course, that's not the main reason why I shouldn't be alive." There seemed to be a hint of regret in her eyes.

"Is this place really…. Is it really Wonderland?" Alice slowly nodded. She seemed to be depressed now.

"What happened to Wonderland? And… what happened to you?" He asked, resting a caring hand on her shoulder. Alice's grip on her knife had tightened and her hair had fallen over her face in strands, covering her face and the emotion within it.

"Well, what happened was-" When Alice had raised her head, her eyes narrowed in focus to something behind Sora. She pulled him by the hand and dragged him to a lower level and behind a pile of fallen planks. Before Sora could protest, she had covered his mouth with her free hand.

"Shh." They looked up, and saw a flat man. But not a man at all, a card-man. His uniform had a printed club on it. It was blood stained and torn badly. He carried a blood stained spear in the shape of a club. He didn't appear to be all that bright.

"Card guards?" He whispered to Alice.

"That's right." Sora instantly pulled out the Lady Luck Keychain.

"Put that thing away, won't you? You'll get us killed." Sora put away the bright keychain and summoned the Kingdom Key. The Card Guard looked around dim-wittingly, before turning around, resuming his post.

"I'll take care of him." Alice said. She climbed up the wooden plank and ran up behind the card guard. She took a slice out of him with her knife, only for him to the same to her arm. In rage, Alice cut violently into his neck, which caused his head to fall off in an array of blood, which got on Alice's dress. She turned to face Sora, whose eyes were closed and head was turned.

"Don't tell me blood makes you squeamish." She said, staring at her knife and the blood on it.

"Just a little." She sighed at him. She held up her knife and let the blood drip down her hand and arm. She seemed to not be affected by it at all.

"Well you better get used to it. You'll be seeing a lot of it from now on. Now get up and follow me." She took him by the hand and helped him up to the higher level. Her touch, it was the same as he remembered it. As she turned her head and began walking onwards. Sora started at the lifeless bloody corpse on the floor, before turning back to Alice and following her. Even though he was with her, he had a feeling this would be the worst trip of his life.

----

"There they are! KILL THEM!!!" The card guards screamed and charged towards them with nothing in their minds but a set goal; killing them. Alice, without haste, cut down every one in her path in a fountain of blood. Sora, on the other hand, had a harder time. He was fine at dodging attacks, but Alice said there's no time for dodging, but only time for attacking. Sora shut his eyes tightly and thrust the somehow sharper, more lethal keyblade through the eye of a diamond card guard, and pulling it back out. Trying his best to ignore the cry of pain, and the blood splattering on his clothes, Sora fell to his knees next to the dead guard and held his stomach, and started dry heaving. He couldn't take this, even for the short amount of time he had been here. He wanted it to stop. Despite the monsters vanishing into Meta Essence, Sora didn't even bother to reach for it. Alice, after cutting down another guard, turned to the sickly Sora.

"Stop that and keep moving. We can't waste a minute." She said without the slightest of positive emotion towards him.

"Time is running out." She grabbed the key on the table and walked towards the portal.

"How can you be okay with all of this? Doesn't it bother you in the least?" Alice stopped dead in her tracks and faced Sora.

"I'm more bothered by all this than you think." Alice turned her head and continued through the portal. Sora, swallowing down what his stomach made way to his throat and followed Alice. Through the portal they went, and out onto the streets of Pandemonium they arrived. Two Diamond Guards were firing at them and a club guard ran towards them, letting out a bizarre, yet short lasting, battle cry, before Alice took him down, and Sora threw his Keyblade at one of the two guards, as Alice threw her knife at the other. Sora's mind was racing so fast, and his adrenaline was rising. Everything was happening so fast.

"Alright, now here do we go?" Sora asked. Alice pointed across the bed of acid and to an open portal.

"There. The Gnome Elder is waiting for us. Now let's go." The two made their ways carefully across the bed of acid by jumping on fallen debris, and through the portal to the gnome elder.

---

"You have the key! Very resourceful. Rabbit's confidence is not misplaced. He's no fool."

"I certainly hope he's not!" 

"Well, I'm sure you two can fit on here. Climb on, now." Sora stepped up slowly to the contraption and looked down at the lethal fall below. Alice gave him and impatient stare.

"And now you're going to tell me you're afraid of heights?"

"If I can't see the bottom then yes!" Said Sora, taking a step back.

"Just get on the bloody thing." Alice said, pushing him into the front basket, and Alice sat down next to him. After the gnome took take off, Alice turned her head towards him.

"Now, about us getting small…"

"Eh? You asked that?"

"Yes, I did. Now how do we?"

"… Ah yes! There's a Skool inside the Fortress. There you will find items for a concoction to make you small."

"What kind of items?" Sora asked, still refusing to look down below.

"Items! Trust my words; you'll know them when you see them." Below them, a pack of card guards spotted them. They signalled other guards and they started firing at them.

"Speaking of seeing, we've been spotted! Dammit!" Somehow, they managed to swiftly dodge each incoming missile. As they approached the Fortress, the card guards didn't seize they're firing.

"I can't land! You two have to jump!"

"What!?" Before Sora could again protest, Alice had grabbed him by the wrist and jumped out of the basket, and onto the cold ground of the Fortress. Sora, on his knees, managed to look over the ledge and into the darkness.

"Why does everything have to be so dark?"

"I suppose there's a theme going on. You mean you didn't notice?" Alice said, standing up. Sora jumped up quickly and followed her through the wall. They looked up at the moving building in front of them.

"So, that's the Skool, huh?"

"Yes, that's right. Now, let's look for a way in." Sora nodded, and the two looked in separate directions for a way in. After five wasted minutes of searching, Sora called over to Alice.

"Maybe we can get in from somewhere else."

"You're probably right." But their chatting caught the attention of card guards above the wall. Evading the incoming threat, Alice and Sora stood flat against the wall, dodging all attacks.

"They don't give up, do they?" Sora sighed, taking in a deep breath and climbing up near-by rubble and reaching the top of the wall, cut down the guards in rage. 

"Can't you just leave us alone?!" He yelled at the lifeless, bloody corpses. Sora suddenly felt dizzy. The sight of more blood made him feel sick again. He set his hands on his forehead and took in slow breaths.

"You do need to learn to control that. Such weaknesses in the face of battle will get you killed." Sora threw her a glare.

"I get it. I'm trying, okay?" As Alice turned her head, something caught her eye.

"Sora, there's a window. If we can open it…" Sora, trying to control his stomach, crawled onto the ledge and tried to unlock the window.

"It's no good. I can't get it to open." Sora sighed, jumping back onto the wall. Alice gave the window a throw of her knife. Nothing.

"… Well it was worth a try." Alice said, the knife forming back into her hand. Sora sighed and sat on the ledge of the wall. Alice surveyed the Fortress carefully.

"Did you see any way in while we were in the basket?"

"Nope. How about you?"

"Well, I did notice something." She walked over to the northern wall of the Fortress, Sora following, and pointed down.

"See how the bars cover the doorway? Well, look over here." She faced the Skool and looked down, pointing to where the opening lead.

"See? That side is different." She said, climbing down.

"Maybe we can find a way in the Skool through here." Sora climbed down and looked at the doorway, then back at the Skool. There's no way that could lead into Skool! He put his hand to his forehead.

"This place is so bizarre." Alice turned her head, giving Sora a wicked grin.

"Welcome back to Wonderland." Sora could hardly believe the fact that this was Wonderland. It's was hardly recognizable anymore. What had happened to the fun and curious Wonderland he grew to love? And the fun and curious Alice he grew to love had changed as well.

"What happened to Wonderland, Alice?" He asked.

"Wonderland grew up. And so have I." It wasn't the straight answer he wanted. 

"Yeah, but Alice, how did it get like this? What happened?" Alice obviously didn't feel like answering, for she instantly turned her head and stepped though the doorway. Everything was happening so fast, he didn't even know why he was brought here. Either way, Alice was Alice. He'd give his life to protect her. Grip tightening on the Keyblade, and head filled with questions, Sora followed Alice to destroy the group of monsters inside.


	6. Daze

Those who own or know the game well, you might recognize the book that Sora finds, which is the casebook to the Alice game.

Digital Winter

----

The first thing he could notice of this room was the harsh wind that circled the area fiercely. Once he turned his head, he noticed the source; a wild maelstrom swirling viciously, dominating the whole area. Stepping out from the alcove and further into the room, it looked like is had been severed from another area. Alice turned her head in surprise as she threw her knife at a supposed target. Sora didn't hear anything but the metal hitting the bricks, but he heard something else shortly after. He quickly turned his head, but it was too late. A ghost-like creature had flown into their direction, and released a banshee-like howl, and the screams force was so strong, it pushed them both back as they slammed into a back wall, blood pouring out of their arms. Alice quickly pulled the pack of cards she had found earlier, raised her hand and with hand movement, the cards soared from the deck and shot after the ghost one-by-one, until the creature burst into flames with a cry of pain, before turning into Meta Essence. She picked it up before he got a chance to, and continued to enter further into the room.

As Alice reached the other side, they heard to sound of wood breaking, as the floorboards pulled apart and the side Alice was on seemed to slowly pull away. Before she lost her footing completely, she swiftly jumped from the slowly severed floorboards to the next, until reaching the other side. Alice decided not to wait for him, as she ran up a pair of stairs to a balcony above the alcove, which led to a bridge which was ripped and floating from the strange separation, and on the other side was a portal. As Alice took a step on it and ran forward, it began to tilt backwards as the other side lifted- then forward and lowered as she ran to the other side. As Alice stepped back, Sora ran up the stairs to help.

"I can figure this out on my own. I don't need your help." She said, looking determined to solve the puzzle. Sora folded his arms.

"Then what exactly do I do Alice?"

"Just let me do everything."

"But I want to help you too!" As Sora yelled a strange sound filled their ears, the smell of burning ashes and smoke filled the air, and a most malnourished tattooed cat with a sinister grin and narrow yellow eyes greeted them, and with a deep voice, it spoke.

"If I were you I'd listen to the girl, or anyone with a knife in hand for that matter." The cat said. This of course made Sora jump. The cats grin only grew wider at the sight, as his tail began to slowly move. 

"Alice, who is that? What is that?" Sora asked, looking a bit frightened.

"Don't tell me you've forgotten The Cheshire Cat!" Sora looked from Alice to the cat and back.

"Are… are you serious?" Sora asked in disbelief, looking back down at the Cheshire Cat.

"Wow, everything HAS changed." Alice sighed at the remark and turned her head back to the bridge. Sora glared at the cat.

"I still don't trust you." He said with a glare. The cats smiled widened and his eyes narrowed.

"To trust or not to trust? I trust you'll decide." As he spoke the familiar words, he began to vanish. Alice had once again jumped onto the severed bridge, taking a running stance while waiting for the bridge to rise. As to rose as high as it could, Alice ran across the bridge as it slowly lowered. As she reached the end, she jumped onto the other side before the bridge lowered completely. She stood there as her eyes met Sora's. He assumed she was going to wait for him this time. Sora took a step back, and then jumped onto the bridge, his weight lowering the side he was on. As the opposite side rose completely, he ran across the bridge and swiftly jumped to the other side, facing Alice, pulling the key they went through so much trouble to get.

"Hey Alice, I just realised something. Is this key completely useless?" She sighed, grabbed his arm and ran though the portal with him.

------

This new area was fairly dark, a torch as the small rooms only light. Alice released her grip on his arm and the two walked through the portal. They were still surrounded by the maelstrom above. These brick walls were raised high. Almost maze-like. Alice walked to her right and peered from behind the wall. She had drawn attention to a patrolling card guards, and one rushed over, ready to attack. Alice threw her knife viciously at the guard and its upper body was cut clean off, blood spraying on the walls as his legs ran blindly in circles before stopping completely and forming into Meta Essence. This obviously had drawn more attention to them, as other guards began to run over. Sora jumped in front of her and cut them down, taking slashes out of Sora every chance they got. Alice ran past them, and jumped onto a low-levelled platform where a glowing red box lay afloat. She curiously reached a free hand out to the box, as the top opened, spraying red gas into her eyes. Alice let out a scream of pain before covering her eyes and falling to her knees. Her skin turned a demonic shade of red, as a glowing red aura surrounded her body, and she took in deep gaping breaths. The Cheshire Cat appeared suddenly, seeming slightly amused at Alice's situation.

"Time to raise some havoc. The dogs of war are loose!" Suddenly, horns began to grow out of Alice's head and back, pulling her hands away from her eyes and raising her arms as she releasing a beast-like growl. She rose from the ground and gave each guard a hellish stare of rage. The Cheshire Cat faced Sora and his smile grew wider.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn. Hell hath made way into Alice's rage. I'd hide if I were you." He vanished, and Sora took retreat behind the wall, the guards bringing their attention to Alice now, and they all charged at her. The platform she stood on began to lower to the ground and the guards have completely circled around Alice, taking slices out of her skin. After letting out a cry of pain, Alice yelled and took a slash out of two guards at once. Immediately, the guard's bloody heads were cut clean off, as Alice swiftly turned her body and her arm, cutting a guards body clean in half, warm blood now covering Alice. Three guards remained, and Alice decapitated two more, the last took a slash out of her back. Her attention to him now. As her eyes met his, her whole body was covered in his comrade's blood, their bodies now life-source for her. He turned around and began to run for his life in fear. Alice, with a yell, threw her knife at his back, and quickly put him out of his fear as his upper body lost contact with his lower body, his blood pouring onto the floor. Alice stood there for a moment. Suddenly, her pale skin had lost the red colour and the aura was gone. Her eyes had returned to their original emerald state and the horns had retreated into her skin, and she returned to normal. Well, not a demon at least. Sora came out from his retreat and ran over to Alice. She seemed like she was in a trance. Her head was lowered, eyes were half-open and she didn't say anything when she saw him. She closed her eyes and began to fall backwards. Sora jumped behind her and caught her before she hit the ground.

"Alice! You okay?" She didn't respond right away. Despite her being covered in blood, she was still as elegant as ever. As groaned a little before opening her eyes.

"I'm fine. Don't worry. Just drained my energy a bit…" She said before making an attempt to stand up. She nearly lost her balance and used Sora's arm for support.

"Want me to carry you?" Sora asked. Alice took in a deep breath, and slowly let it out.

"I'm not a child. I can walk on my own." She said, and slowly began to walk onwards. It hurt Sora to see Alice like this. He looked down to the ground, sighed, and slowly followed her.

----

After they made their way out of the Fortress, the portal they had just taken had led then straight back to the Skool. Sora stared in disbelief.

"What? No way! After all that?" Sora yelled, then sighing and leaning over the ledge.

"Perhaps a way has opened after that little endeavour." Alice said, before turning her body to a Diamond Guard running their way. Sora grabbed his Keyblade and took two slices out of it, before it fell rolling backwards in its own blood and formed into Meta Essence. As the two walked on, another guard had started to run over. Alice took her knife and threw it, and it collided with the guard's body and it fell back in a puddle of blood. She had pretty good aim. While walking atop the fortress, two of the banshee-like ghosts had flown over.

"What are those Alice?" Sora asked, taking a fighting stance.

"Boojums." She quickly said, pulling out her cards. She raised her hand and the cards soared towards the Boojums one by one. Rather than hitting both, only one was taken down. The other had flown out of sight. They surveyed the area, and Alice climbed onto the ledge to get a better view. Before Sora could even react, the Boojum was right behind the weak Alice, and it released its scream, hurling Alice backwards and leaving her dangling on the ledge over the black void. Sora had to act fast. He quickly summoned Fira and fired at the Boojum. It was too quick. He tried Lighting. It hit the Boojum directly, but didn't kill it. Sora jumped off of the ledge and into the air, but it released its evil cry, slamming Sora into the wall. Sora jumped against the ledge and into the air again, cutting the Boojum down. Sora landed back to the ground and leaned over the ledge where Alice was hanging weakly. Her fingers began to slip and he reached his hand down and grabbed her arm before she fell completely.

"I'm really glad you don't weigh a lot Alice!"

"Just bring me up now…" Sora smiled and pulled Alice back up. Sora lost his balance and as Alice was pulled up onto the ledge, she lost her footing and fell on top of Sora, both falling to the ground. Sora had his is head on the opposite ledge, and Alice was lying on Sora. When Sora opened his eyes, he just noticed her on top of him. He couldn't help but to go a little red.

"Don't get any ideas." Alice said in a menacing tone, trying to hide the fact that she was blushing. Sora laughed as she climbed off of him.

"Thanks for helping me." She said, offering a helping hand to help him up. He took her hand and smiled, and then they ran along the wall. The window to the skool that was previously locked was now open. As the two ran over to it, the Cheshire cat was sitting next to the window.

"Entering Skool requires a real leap of logic." He vanished after the words, and the two jumped carefully through the window and into the skool. The room was lit by a hanging lantern, a poster of Phrenology was hanging on the wall, and a small child was walking strangely around the small room. He didn't appear to be a threat. The two ignored him and they walked through the double doors. In front of them was a small staircase that led in two directions. On one of the platforms, an unseen card guard had fired a missile at them and slashed into Alice's arm. She dodged the next two missiles and threw her knife at the guard. Alice began to walk up the stairs and Sora's attention was drawn to a large gap in the floorboards. He looked down into the gap and under was a deep black void, surrounded by large stacked books. The sound of opening doors and clashing metal caught his attention. Sora ran up the stairs and through the open doors where Alice was caught in a battle. She had killed them all, picking up the Meta Essence and running through the next doorway. Sora felt that she nearly forgotten about him. He followed, and through the doorway was a library; fairly small at that. Most of the books on the shelves looked wore out, tattered and torn. This room didn't appear to have much use to them.

"Did you see any other doorways?" Alice asked, scanning the shelves. 

"Most of the doors looked locked or boarded up. But I did see one unlocked. Wanna check there?" Sora posted, Alice nodding and back-tracking out of the small room.  
Back into the entryway, Sora pointed to the unlocked doors. On a balcony above the doors seemed to be a weapon. Alice ran over, jumping from one balcony to the other, grabbing the weapon. The Cheshire Cat decided to show up, giving Alice a riddle.

"Here's a riddle. When is a croquet mallet like a billy club? I'll tell you; whenever you want it to be." The weapon was indeed a croquet mallet. It looked more like a flamingo, which struck past memories into their minds of the unfair games with the Queen. Although this unfortunate flamingo has gone through Rigor Mortis. It certainly won't be giving Alice a hard time again. Jumping down from the ledge, Alice walked through the doorway, and Sora followed. The doors lead into an auditorium, where the Gnome Elder was waiting for them. Alice walked down the rows, Sora following, and she stood next to him, her hand on her waist. On the stage were three insane children. Sora didn't quite understand why. 

"There's a bit more to do then you suggested, don't you think?" Alice said, watching the children.

"No need for sarcasm. I admit, my memory's not what it was. But I'm here now. I'll try to amend its deficiencies. The library contains a recipe for the potion. Consult the book of bizarre things."

"The library? We were just there and we didn't see anything like that." Sora said, looking around the room.

"Oh yes, that. You needed to pull a certain book from the shelf and… Oh, no! Run!" The Elder didn't get a chance to finish, as two guards came running into the room. The Elder vanished, leaving Alice and Sora to fight.

"Coward." Alice muttered under her breath, before pulling out the croquet mallet and running towards the guard, swinging it and smashing its face to death, and Sora slashed out the Keyblade and cut the guard down.

"Your tolerance to blood is growing much stronger over time." Alice complimented. This was true. Sora found the blood a bit more bearable. Sora and Alice ran out of the auditorium and back to the library. As the two entered the room, the Elder was right. The bookshelf previously there has been moved, with a red book sticking out. Walking down the narrow hallway book shelved-hallways, the few seconds of their guards falling was foolish. In an alcove, a guard awaited their arrival, hopes of slaying the 'intruders.' It charged at them, taking a slice out of Sora's skin. Sora raised the Keyblade and stabbed the guard through the torso, and watch the blood and body fall to the floor. Sora held his arm, touching the open wound carefully. As they turned their heads, the Diamond Guard came running to them. Shooting Alice with a missile, she fell to the floor with a cry of pain. Sora, in a fit of rage, cut down the guard violently. Alice was already up and on her feet when he turned to face her. The two walk onwards, discovering that the library was much bigger than they once thought. Ignoring Sora's gasps of disbelief, Alice looked directly upwards. Tapping Sora's shoulder, she pointed to a strange object up on a high ledge.

"Oh hey, that must be the Book of Bizarre things the Troll Elder was talking about." Alice nodded. As Alice walked forward, she turned her head and something caught her eye. She began to walk to her left, towards a large glowing book. As Sora closely followed, she slowly reached out her hand. Before her hand was even an inch away, the books spread open, and began to fly over their heads. Following its path, it flew upwards and up towards the Book of Bizarre things. Taking a sharp right, Sora checked the floor for any other books. (Though they would be hard to miss.) After no luck, Sora, Alice following, Sora stepped onto a platform surrounding a platform to think. Suddenly, the platform shook, and started spinning around the pillar, lifting him up. He fell to his knees and quickly grabbed Alice by the wrist, pulling her up, making her almost fall over him. As they reached the top, (second floor) Alice and Sora walked off the platform and Sora immediately spotted the second book. A familiar sound filled their ears as the Cheshire Cat appeared not to far from them, near a single bookshelf.

"Steps to enlightenment brighten the way. But the steps are steep-" He moved his paw to the right, pushed the bookshelf over- "Take them one at a time." And it acted as steps for them to climb. With a grin, he vanished. Sora ran over to where the next floating book and reached his hand out to it, watching it spread out its pages and flying to the Book they sought. Sora watched it float next to the other book. Suddenly, Sora felt a severe pain in his back, as a diamond missile was fired. The two turned their heads and faced the guard, and Sora quickly firing Fira at it before Alice had a chance to be its next victim. Sora jumped onto the now fallen bookcase and helped Alice up, as the two slowly walked their way upwards. To their right, another of the floating books greeted them. Sora reached out to it and it flew to the others. When they walked forward, it's almost no surprise that a card guard was waiting for their arrival. Alice ran in front of him, pulled out the Croquet Mallet, along with it a croquet ball (which was also a live creature) and swung it at the guard, watching it roll backwards and off and fall down to its death. To their left was an elevator. Both stepping on it, it rose up and took them to the next floor. When the elevator stopped, Sora spotted the last book in front of them. Reaching out and watching it spreading its "wings," they followed it as it lead them to where the books lay afloat, acting as stepping stones for them to carefully cross. Sora slowly walked up to the first book. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head and closed his eyes, and he slowly placed his foot on the first book. Opening his eyes and pressing his full weight on the book, he smiled back at Alice. 

"Looks like it'll support us." He said, as he walked to the end of the book, ready to jump to the next one. Suddenly, Sora released a yell, as he fell from atop the book to the floor below. The terrified Alice ran to the edge and fell to her knees, looking over the ledge in fret. Alice's worry then turned to irritation, as she spotted a smiling Sora dangling one-handed from the books spine, waving at her with his free hand.

"That's so typical of you, Sora."

"Admit you. You were worried about me!" Sora said, smiling. Alice sighed and rose to her feet, walking onto the book and looking down at Sora.

"Pull one more stunt like that again and next time I'm letting you fall to your death." She threatened, reaching her hand down to him. Sora gladly took it as she helped him up. "Fair enough." They turned their heads and started to swiftly jump from book to book. When the two finally reached where the Book of Bizarre things was, Alice climbed onto the table and closely examined it. Suddenly, the Cheshire Cat appeared on a near-by pedestal. Alice faced the cat.

"There's no lock, but it won't open. It's stuck." She said. The Cats eyes narrowed as he looked at the book.

"Treat it like a Chinese box, or a stubborn lid. A tap in the right spot might do the trick." Alice turned her attention to the book again, turning her head from side to side. Suddenly, she pushed the book forward, almost off the table as it wobbled indecisively back and force, then Alice kicked it off the table. The book tumbled down to the floor with a loud thud, as the book pages flung open. The Cheshire Cat, slightly annoyed, raised an eyebrow at Alice.

"You call that a TAP? Fortunate I didn't suggest force. You might have pulverized it." Sora couldn't help himself but to laugh. Before the Cheshire Cat vanished, he threw a glare at Sora. Slowly climbing down ledge by ledge, the two made their way to the bottom floor, where the book lay open. Alice walked in front of it and read the open pages.

"How convenient for us! It opened right to the page we needed! Now, let's see…. Mushrooms, Poppies, Sugar and Spice, all those things are very nice. When combined the proper mixture makes a getting small elixir. Hmm, I don't really like sweets." She said, turning to Sora, who had a fairly confused look on his face.

----

The science room floor was covered in puddles of blood, and meta essence from a previous rescue for the Troll Elder.

"You're fortunate we passed by." Alice said, Sora whipping blood off of his face in disgust. The Troll Elder looked at them a little confused.

"Meaning what? I was just about to say you were fortunate to have found me! Look, I found the last ingredient. Sugared Spice Drops." He said, pulling them out of his pocket and handing them to Sora. Alice folded her arms behind her back.

"Whenever we meet up it seems I also find a bit more trouble. Seen any jumbo grow about?"

"There's a bit in that flask on the sideboard." He pointed to the Jumbo Grow to the right of them. "You see? We're set. Bring back some Poppy Blooms and we'll mix up the potion." He vanished in sparks, as Alice ran over to the flask and grabbed it, watching it vanish into thin air. The two quickly turned around and ran through he double doors, taking a sharp right through a door. On the other side, two card guards were there to greet their demise. They charged, as Sora drew out the Keyblade, swiftly cutting the first one down, then turning to the second, jumping into mid-air and jumping off of the wall, pointing the Keyblade forward like an arrow, as he shot through him in a second, his upper body slowly falling to the floor. Both then passing through the double doors in front of them that read '3rd Grayd.' Inside, two card guards awaited their arrival. Alice pulled out the deck of cards instantly, holding it in front of her as the razor sharp cards flew to the guards, slicing into their skin and cutting them to bits. They ran into the next room, which was like an indoor garden, and it was no surprise at all that there were creatures waiting to kill them, among which were card guards and a single Boojum. Alice ran dead-set forward, grabbing the croquet mallet and swinging at the horrid creature. But it beat her to the cut. It released its banshee-like howl, sending Alice backwards. Luckily her reaction was quick, as she grabbed the croquet ball out of her pocket and swung it at the Boojum, setting it ablaze before forming into meta essence. Sora was busy on his end, too; using Fira to keep the card guards from harming Alice and himself. When they were dead and gone, the two walked to the end of the room, to a garden patch that read the sign 'Poppy Seeds.' When they got nearer to the patch, there was a single glowing spot. Suddenly, the Jumbo Grow appeared in the air, slowly pouring into the slowing spot. Out of the glowing, a large lollipop grew from the soil and Alice grabbed it, watching it too vanish into thin air. Backtracking to the Second Grayd room, they outran any monsters that came their way. After slamming the doors shut, the Troll Elder greeted them and he faced a strange object.

"This condenser should mix the potion. Doesn't look like its good for much else though." As Alice handed him the last of the ingredients, he began to mix them together, then poured them in a bottle. He faced the two.

"Now time to leave... but not as you came. Go by way of the observatory." He pulled out a metal golden star out of his pocket and handed it to Sora. "This star is for both of your stellar performances... May open some doors for you two." And with that, he vanished. Alice walked to the table and grabbed the bottle with the familiar print of 'Drink Me' in it, and shoved it in her pinafore pocket. Sora then noticed the doorway had turned into a portal. The two ran through it, anxious to leave the Skool.

----

Bolting down the halls, they ran into the library. Taking the elevator staircase upwards, it drew the attention of two Boojums. Alice and Sora split into two different directions. Alice had no trouble with her half, but Sora had more trouble with his. Sora threw the Keyblade like a boomerang at the Boojum, but it missed at first. The Keyblade came swinging back, hitting the Boojum this time. Enraged, it released its howl, sending the unprepared Sora smashing into a bookcase wall, causing books among books to fall atop of him. Pushing them aside, a certain book caught his eye. It had no particular title, but the cover read 'Rutledge Private Clinic and Asylum.' Underneath, it read 'Patient, ALICE. Sora's head skipped a beat. Was this book about Alice? Sora didn't have time to read now. He quickly sliced down the Boojum, and opened the pages of the book. The pages were weathered and torn, some words were hard to read, but he read the first page.

_4 November 1864_

_Received confirmation from the superintendent that I will be given the opportunity to treat a very troubled and difficult patient. Dubious honour! Her name is Alice, and her prognosis is not promising. After looking at her file, I'm astonished she has survived this long. She has been nearly comatose for a year.  
-Would I have admitted her had I known then what I know now? 3/10/73_

Eyes wide, he turned to the second page.

_11 November 1864_

_Mute on stretcher, with her head curiously bandaged, Alice seems to cling precariously to life. Her burns have healed remarkably in the year since the fire, but she languishes in a deep trance like dementia. It's as if the blaze consumed her senses. Deaf, dumb, and blind to all stimulation, she's a fair match for the infirmary's gloom._

Sora's heart was racing. If he understood well… was Alice in an asylum? Now his thoughts began to race. Is this why Alice is now so morbid, depressed and disturbed? He had no chance to read the rest of the passage, as Alice started to hurry him from the other side (and another floor) of the library. Sora wanted to know more, and he was sure she would never tell him directly. He closed the book and placed it in the pockets of his pants, then rain to fight with Alice. Running up the opposite bookcase that fell before, the two reached the top, a Card Guard waited for them. Alice then hurled her knife at the guard, watching its head get sliced off, falling to a pool of blood on the floor. A second one arrived as late backup, Sora throwing the Keyblade at it like a boomerang again. As soon as it died, the two jumped off of the bookshelf, turning right, snagging the meta essence as they ran by. The door in front of them was engraved with stars, and it read 'Observatory,' so it was a given that the star they received was a key. Sora pulled it out and held it to the doors, watching them swing open. Walking through the doors, it lead them to an elevator, as it lifted them to the next floor. Through the doorway they went, with some creatures to greet them. Sora bolted forwards, taking the two in front of him, slicing them down. But one got to Alice, stabbing her in the back, making her screaming in pain as her blood fell to the floor. Sora, enraged, charged to the guard and viciously cut its head off, ignoring the warm blood on him. He offered his bloody hand to help her up, and she accepted it. Alice took the meta essence dropped and they made their way across the room, running up a rickety broken staircase, jumping over the open gap. Alice took her knife in hand and threw it at the waiting card guard, giving it not even a chance to react. They walked up to the telescope that was pointing at a replica of a moon, which then opened, revealing a portal.

"Time for the potion, right Alice?" Sora asked, as Alice nodded. She grabbed the 'Drink Me' bottle from her pocket and drank half of it's contents, Sora quickly doing the same. The both jumped from the ledge and towards the portal, shrinking to a small size mid-jump, passing through the portal.


	7. Chill

Happy Halloween everyone. Enjoy the chapter.

Digital Winter

---------

The air was brisk and bleak, and a dense mist surrounded the environment around them. The first thing that the two could take notice of, aside from their small size, was a flowing waterfall adorning the cliff just yards ahead of them. While Sora took survey of the new large foliage around him, Alice excitedly jumped and pointed to The White Rabbit, who was on a stone ledge on the ridge.

"Oh, there's the Rabbit! Quickly, we must follow him, before we loose his trail once again!" She called out, taking only three steps forward. Sora had no idea that they were even following him, due to Alice's lack of desired explanation. Suddenly, they heard rocks crumble and then a loud crash. The two looked up and saw a large boulder tumble down along the cliff. As the White Rabbit ran across, he took a right and ran into a tunnel, and the boulder fell squarely over it, blocking any other access into the tunnel. Alice sighed in remorse.

"If only were had gotten here faster, that wouldn't have happened." She said sadly. Sora sighed and sat down on a medium large rock next to him.

"I'm sure there's another way to follow hi- HEY!" After Sora sat down, the rock sprouted little legs, and in a frenzied attempt to get Sora off of it, it bucked him off then retreated behind a large mushroom. Sora actually found it more surprising that it didn't try to kill him.

As Sora turned his head, Alice had already started to head off without him. Sora groaned and ran after her. Alice then stopped abruptly, taking a crouching stance. Then, she sprung from the ground and jumped over the seemingly bottomless ravine and landed swiftly on the other side. Sora's turn. He took approached the ledge and then jumped over the ravine, landing on the other side. Both began to run along the ledged on the cliff, passing the waterfall and climbing over rocks, and ever the boulder blocking the path they intended to take. Suddenly, Alice heard a crashing sound, followed by more. She quickly grabbed Sora's wrist, stopping him from proceeding any further. The two stood still in waiting. Just then, another boulder came crashing down onto the ledge in front of them. It then ricocheted off of the ledge and into the air, then falling down into the ravine. The two then began to do their jumping escapades as they approached the waterfall. The two then heard more crashes, followed by another boulder.

"Man, what is with this place an boulders!?" Sora yelled, taking Alice's hand and squeezing them both into a corner just inches away from the boulder. Both held their breaths as they waited for the boulder to pass. As soon as it rolled past them and down the cliff, the two came out of 'hiding' and jumped over the water and to the other side of the ledge, continuing forward. It was almost no surprise that as soon as they climbed up another rock, a boulder came tumbling down. It was far away, but to be safe, they waited for it to pass. Once it did, they crossed the ledge. Finally, the two climbed to the top of the cliff. Atop of which were two Ants.

"Hey look, ants! Think their normal?" Sora asked, hopeful to get another alliance on their side. Alice didn't have to look too hard to tell they were no ordinary ants.

"Are ants in your world clad in army attire? I should say not!" They were in fact dressed in army-like uniforms, each holding old-fashioned guns. The ants bested them in size, but their strengths were to be determined. Alice pulled out the Deck of Cards and fired multiple cards at the closest one. It took a few shots, but it went falling off the cliff. The one on the other side of the river had lifted its gun and fired at Alice's art just as she was pulling out the Croquet Mallet. She fell to her knees holding her arm, hissing at the pain and covering the wound, wrenching out the long bullet. Sora hurled the Keyblade at the Army Ant like a boomerang and watched its head go rolling onto the ground. Unlike before, its blood was a sickening shade of green, aside from the dark-red he was accustomed to. Sora almost forgot about their new size, and that their opponents would now be insects. Sora grabbed the shards of Meta Essence and handed them to Alice, and watched as she rose to her feet, as if she was free of all the pain. The two then ran along the river and entered a new area that looked like a large pond. As Sora got knee deep into the water, he stared up at a statue; a statue of Alice. Her hand was on her face and she was crying, a source of the flowing water was pouring from the eyes. He then turned to a depressed looking Alice, who tried to take on her own again. He suddenly grabbed her wrist and stopped her, with a determined and concerned look on his face.

"No, Alice." Sora just took the time to look down at her wrists, which were draped with scars, both moulded over time and some so deep they had required stitching. His own heart ripping at the seams, and he looked back up at her. 

"I want you to tell me what happened." Alice, feeling overshadowed with shame, pulled her hand back and held it to her chest and pressed it closer with the other hand. She opened her mouth and tried to speak, but her throat was dry from trying to fight back tears. She shut her mouth and eyes tightly, and then opened them both slowly.

"I trust you enough to explain to you, Sora." She said, taking in a gasping breath as tears streamed down her cheeks. "I-it was back… ten years ago. It was late at night-" she paused to gasp more air. "- a-and then there was a house fire. I was the only one that made it out of the house a-a-alive." She paused, shutting her eyes tightly and covering her gasping mouth with her shaking hands. Sora did not interrupt, and patiently waited for her to start again. She dragged her fingers down and away from her chin as she started the story again.

"I was so young… I could only watch as they were… b-burned alive before my very eyes. After that…" She paused, looking down at her rippling refection in the water. "After that, I only remember waking up bandaged and weak in an asylum." She turned her head and slowly took in deep breaths, then releasing them out.

"They kept saying I'd never get any better. That I was just getting worse. I could only feel madness within… but the whole time, I only had one thing in mind." She faced him, and she almost looked furious with him.

"I was waiting for you to come and rescue me." Sora's eyes widened as he took in a quiet gasp. He was right all along. He HAD let Alice down. He lowered his head as regret took over.

"Alice… I had no idea that had happened." His head didn't stray, but his eyes wanted to see her face. She looked as if she didn't believe him. "If I had known that was going to happen, I'd do anything and everything I could to save you." Sora lifted his head and faced Alice, taking her hands and holding them in his own, as his head dropped again.

"Because you're important to me, Alice. And that will never change. No matter what." Alice's expression changed to that from anger to despair. It was at that moment, that Sora started to hear crying. When he lifted his head, he saw that the source was not Alice (though her eyes were beginning to overflow with tears) but someone off to the shore. Sora lifted his head and looked behind Alice, and there he saw a very strange creature balling uncontrollably for unknown reasons. Alice too turned her head, and her eyes opened in surprise.

"Well, if it isn't the Mock Turtle! What worthless notion is he weeping about now?" She wondered, and curiously walked towards the Mock Turtle. (To Sora, it didn't look much like a Turtle) Sora didn't meet all of the Wonderland residents during his visits, and he was one of them. The only thing it wore was a pair of knickers, which Sora also found strange. Alice stood in front of the sobbing thing and folded her arms, and in a concerned tone, asked,

"What's all this then? Did someone die? Have you lost your family?" The creature lifted its head and faced her.

"No, my shell! The Duchess stole it and tried to eat me for lunch! Nobility must be served, I suppose..." After the explanation, he wiped his eyes with his fin and then immediately began to cry again. Alice, in that instant, dropped her concern and shook her head, and dropping the motherly tone.

"Stop that wailing won't you?" The Mock Turtle immediately stopped his crying, and lifted his head, looking slightly disappointed in the failed attempt to gain pity.

"You're very cold-blooded for a mammal. I was almost soup!" He cried out, nearly begging for sympathy.

"Tragic, I'm sure, but I'm a bit pressed for time. Have you seen a rabbit?" She asked, not caring much for his situation. It meant just little importance to her. The Turtle turned his head and began to think.

"Hmm... Twitchy nose, shifty eyes... constantly consults his pocket watch? Most peculiar beast." Alice has released some of the annoyance she had built up.

"Well he's very dear to me. I must find him." She didn't show any sympathy for the Turtle still. 

"Caterpillar could help, I'm quiet certain. He knows everything there is to know." Alice looked a bit ticked again.

"And where does that smushy lay-about hang his hookah these days?"

"Since the troubles began, he's in hiding. I couldn't divulge the secret. I couldn't risk telling you, without..." He turned his head as his eyes slyly faced her. "something in return." Alice sighed and in response, answered,

"Risk nothing, gain nothing." It was then that the Mock Turtle then faced not Alice, but Sora.

"Oh! Well, I didn't notice you there! Care to introduce me to your little friend, Alice?" Sora could handle being neglected by all in this world but Alice. It was probably safer that way. But Sora wasn't THAT small, despite being younger than Alice now.

"Oh yes. Wherever are my manners? Turtle, this is Sora. A very close friend of mine." Said Alice, waving her hand over to Sora.

"And I'm fifteen, thanks." He said, folding his arms.

"I didn't mean it as an insult, you know. Now where was I… Oh yes. His whereabouts then, for my shell. The Duchess won't part with it willingly."

"Then she must do it unwillingly. I'll teach her manners." She said, sounding fairly confident in herself.

"You are brave. But I warn you, she treats everything as prey." He said, then he turned his head to the grey sky. From a far, out of sight branch, a leaf floated slowly to the water and landed, and then the Mock Turtle walked to it and jumped on, and the leaf started to carry him down the river.

"Nice meeting you too!" Sora called out, unsure if he was using sarcasm or not. Shortly after he vanished, a second leaf fell onto the water. Sora jumped onto the leaf and reached out his hand to Alice, who took the offer and grabbed his hand, Sora helping her onto the leaf, which was large enough to carry both of them and their combined weight. As the leaf carried them down the river, Sora almost forgot that there were monsters to cause a threat. After hearing a faint buzzing sound, Sora turned his head to the sky and spotted two insects; ladybugs. They seemed to not be actually ladybugs, but more so mechanical. In their legs they were carrying acorns. As one flew overhead, before it even had a chance to attack, Alice hurled the knife at it dead-set in the face, watching it fall off dead into a rough pile of withered foliage. As the leaf flowed down the currents, Sora caught sight of another smaller waterfall, and flowing down from it was none other than The Mock Turtle. As the leaves that carried them drifted down another waterfall, the leaf took a sharp dive downwards, which threw Alice and Sora into the brisk waters of the vale. As they resurfaced, (the water wasn't all that deep) Alice then took immediate notice of a certain threat. In the water, piranha-like fish began to bite viciously into their legs and sides, drawing blood and the attention of other of the same fish. The two frantically began to swim to a shore, the fierce creatures still at their ankles. Sora climbed onto the safe surface and helped by pulling Alice out of the waters, and she ripped off a fish that began to feast on her lower thigh. Sora dragged her over behind a large rock near-by. The two quietly peered over the surface of the rock and spotted a pair of Army Ants watching for any suspicious activity. Sora and Alice crouched down lower and Sora leaned towards Alice.

"Any way we can sneak by them?" He asked, Alice pulling out her knife. The answer was bluntly obvious to both of them. Alice jumped from the safe retreat of the rock and on top of it, taking immediate attention of the Army Ants as they began to shoot at her. She hurled the knife at the first one as it hissed in pain, and she swiftly landed on the ground as the second tried to take a bite out of her. As Alice turned her attention to the first as Sora ran over to the second, it beat him to the cut. The second Army And had stabbed Alice right in the back with the riffle, as she screamed and tried to wriggle free, and he lifter her and tossed her over its head and flung her writhing body right back into the piranha filled waters. Sora, enraged, began to slash viciously at the foul creatures. As one was beheaded, the other rolled onto its back and curled up. Sora left the Meta Essence for Alice as he jumped into the cold waters. She was getting swarmed by the fish and he quickly swam to her, pulling her from under the water (she had failed to resurface previously) and as she gasped for air and held onto Sora's neck for her life, he began to swim for the dry land. They fell onto their backs and gasped for air as Alice viciously began to cough and spit out water. Sora took the Meta Essence and handed it to the injured Alice. She then sprung to her feet and wrung out her dress as she turned to Sora.

"Dreadful things they are, those Snarks." Sora lifted and eyebrow.

"Is that what they're called?" Alice nodded as she brushed the seeping blood off of her arms, and they turned to a newly fallen leaf and the boarded it, as it took off and began to stride over the water, carrying them further into the Vale. They both could have easily mistaken a flower or rock for any Wonderland Creature. Blurs of green, brown and sky blue flew past them as the soared down the stream of tears.

Both getting caught up in sight seeing, they seemed to forget the potential environmental inconveniences. A looming tree branch hung lowly just above the waters surface. The leaf the pair rode on slid perfectly underneath. Sora and Alice; not so lucky. As the branch hit their feet, as lost her balance and fell forward, landing on the branch with her stomach then smashing her head into a parallel branch with a loud groan. Sora swung helplessly on the wet branch as he grabbed a loose hanging branch, but not before he swung at a ninety degree angle and smashed into the rock wall, as he plunged backwards into the cold waters. As he resurfaced and gasped for air, he then screamed in pain, noticing the Snarks biting at his legs. In a furious attempt to get to save land and retrieve the dazed Alice, he kicked viciously to reach the struggling Alice. The branch, both wet and slimy with an algae like substance, caused Alice to constantly trip and fall flat on her stomach again. Alice managed to balance on the branch and attempted to jump back into the water ahead of her, but the algae made her footing slip just as she jumped, causing her to do mid-air roll before she too plunged into the waters. Both straining their energy to reach a platform of land rising from the water, the two managed to both fit onto the small platform. They took a momentary rest before looking for ways to continue down the Vale. 

"Can we walk?" Sora asked between breaths. Alice took survey of the area. The rock walls were unscaleable and they obviously couldn't swim without drowning or getting slowly eaten alive. Sora could swim pretty well, but Alice on the other hand, she floats as well as a rock. He couldn't risk letting her drown. As they pondered, a leaf floated by down on the stream. Sora, not going to miss his chance, sprang from the ground and towards the leaf. Unfortunately, his timing was off, and as the leaf carried onward, Sora completely missed his chance and fell back into the stream. He just noticed that Alice saw his clumsy act and he laughed nervously.

"Uh.. I-I meant to do that!" He lied, noticing Alice roll her eyes.

"Oh did you now?" She asked with a sarcastic grin, watching as another leaf strode by. Alice took the same action as Sora, only she managed to successfully land on the leaf and she passed him by. Sora felt a little neglected.

"H-hey! Wait up!" He cried after her. He then, as a newly fall leaf began to stride by, hitched a ride on it and glided down the river. To be honest, it felt like surfing to him. He slowly placed his footing and turned his body to rein act the effect of actual surfing. All but the falling of course. He's had enough of that. A sharp turn nearly threw Sora off balance, but he still enjoyed the ride, forgetting almost all worries.

A new turn took by through a hallowed log, almost like a cave, with drapes of sunlight peering through rotted holes, the echoing effect of the passing wind searing through his ears. As he was carried out of the tunnel and into the fade light, a c-like course circulated a hill, which a patiently waiting Alice sat on a rock by flashing Meta Essence. Sora jumped off and climbed up to her, but not before taking the Meta Essence.

"I see you haven't changed at all when it comes to athletic skills." Alice said. If Sora saw correctly, she bared the faintest, smallest smile, which faded in almost an instant.

"And just what is that supposed to mean?" Sora asked, folding his arms.

"Well only someone as clumsy as you could have fallen that many times! Let alone someone with the proper battle skills."

"Hey, you feel too!" Alice closed her eyes and turned her head

"That was to let the foul creatures of this realm to think I was weak. It was merely an act." Sora smiled at her and folded his arms behind his head.

"Right. And the flipping and screaming?" Alice had almost forgotten that Sora had seen that embarrassing action. She tried to keep her cool but it showed that she tried to force it.

"Of course that was part of the act! Really, as if my actions were ragtag enough to do so!" Sora couldn't help but to find Alice's attempt at covering her incident kind of cute. Sora dropped his arms and placed a caring arm on her shoulder.

"Alice, it's okay. Everybody makes mistakes." She sidestepped to shake his hand off.

"I can't believe you haven't gotten this through your head by now! Each and every mistake could very well cost us our lives! Wonderland isn't all blissful glitter, sparkles and fun anymore. It's a maddening realm of uninvited malice and distress! Stop living like bad things can never happen! Because they can and will happen at some point, one way or another. Be it sickness or death, we cannot avoid it." Alice seemed so upset now. Once again. But then again, she did have her reasons. Sora dropped his head and arms and sighed. The smell of burning ash and smoke filled their senses once again. The anorexic form of the grinning Cheshire Cat had formed into their sights, his bloody smile holding untold, questionably understandable knowledge and the morbid humour of a sadistic soul.

"I do trust I told you perils of enraging a woman, did I not, boy?" Sora's expression was now filled with disgust and annoyance. The Cat seemed fairly pleased at his reaction, as the thin boned tail began to wag happily.

"I have a name, you mangy cat! It's Sora! SORA. Get it through your head!"

"Keep your temper. Save if for the monsters. Aaah, speaking of which, I suggest you two high-tail your ways out of this area. Your detour has drawn the attention of the belligerent ladybugs of this land. Run while you can." His eyes narrowed and the smile grew deeper and just over the horizon, behind the two, the Ladybugs began to fly their way, bearing their war-like acorn bombs. Sora, panicked, turned to the cat.

"You could have told us sooner you know!!!"

"Happy owner, happy cat. Indifferent owner, reclusive cat. Try to keep Alice from hurting herself or all of us will be bitter and at each others throats. So watch what you say to her, as well as your actions, boy." The Cat then vanished, leaving the two to their valiant fighting. Sora slashed out the Keyblade and jumped onto the rock, jumping swiftly from it and onto the hallowed log, tilting his body as he jumped to perfect his landings. He was heading deadset for a Ladybug, but Soras aim was slightly off. He only managed to grab its metal legs as the bug flew madly, trying to shake him off. Sora swung his legs as is he was on a swing and then threw the Lady bug to the second one, the crash causing the acorn bombs to explode on contact, as Sora landed cat-like on the ground. Alice had already taken down her fair share of the monsters, as the ground, knife and dress had been painted a thick dark red. Sora sighed the wiped some blood away from his eyes, dropping his head to a sad level.

"I guess I won't be seeing the old Wonderland again for a long time." Alice sighed and lowered her head to his level.

"Well we won't if you give up just like that." She took his arm and pulling him towards another leaf that had fallen down the currents. But, ironically, she slipped on the blood puddles and the two went spiralling into the waters. Sora burst out laughing and Alice, overwhelmed with embarrassment, splashed water in his face.

"T-that's not funny!" Sora smiled and splashed her back.

"Of course it was!" Sora knew getting into a water fight in this time and place was one of the worst ideas he's ever had. She held her arms up to her face as she screamed in defence. As much as Alice would have loved this as a child, he knew that Alice was still Alice. A part of her childhood still had to be intact with her. He laughed again as he splashed her more. She then splashed him viciously back.

"Stop acting like a child, Sora!" Sora only smiled at her.

"But you ARE still a child! You gotta enjoy the fun while it lasts!" Alice cracked a tiny smile. Soras attempt to cheer Alice up would have succeeded if the belligerent lady bugs did not interfere with them again. More so dropping bombs on them. As the climbed out of the clod stream, the shivering two quickly jumped onto a passing leaf to avoid the bombs and to continue their journey. Sora watched the frenzied Snarks beneath them craved for their flesh and blood. As the passed another turn, a malicious Rose, well, rose from the ground and hissed at them, beginning to shoot its razor-like thorns at them, Sora deflecting them before they got their chance to bore through their skin. The leaf quickly passed the Bloody Rose, but their defences would not be dropped that easily. The sound of the rushing falls before them caused Alice's cat-like reflexes to jump from the leaf (dragging Sora too. She'd never leave him to fall.) and onto a steep hill of land. She skidded down the hill, while being careful not to go jumping into the waters again, she could see Snarks in plain view. She carefully crawled onto thick tree rocks looming and ripping into the water and began to slowly shoot the Snarks. As Sora skidded down the hill now, Snarks were not in his view. A shade of sky blue caught his eye and he turned towards it. On a fallen flower, a girl was sitting there. But she didn't look hostile. In fact, she looked… friendly.

It was Alice.

But it was not the dark Alice he was now accustomed to. The little Alice he had rescued on his first adventures to new worlds. She sat politely with her hands folder on her lap and she tilted her head slightly and smiled happily at Sora. How was this possible!? Two Alice's? How could this be true? Sora started to feel dizzy.

"I remember this… I cried so hatd that I would never be able to reach my normal size I created this vale! Dreadfully sorry if it causes you any trouble Sora." His eyes widened as he turned from the little Alice to the darker Alice, who was fending off Snarks with her Razor Cards. He never took his eyes off of the small girl, but turned his head nervously to Alice.

"Uh… Alice?" Naturally, both of the Alice's responded with a 'Yes?' and turned to him. He face the older Alice and pointed to her younger.

"Do… do you see her?" Alice looked back at him and sat upright.

"I don't see anyone there. Are you sure you didn't just see something?" Sora looked for the elder to the younger again and again. It confused him so much.

"Must've been my imagination then." Sora said quietly, but Alice hard already returned to slaying the fish. Sora faced the girl again. She had just jumped down from the mushroom and stood next to him.

"I say, whatever happened to Wonderland? It looks so dreary and upsetting now…." She looked unsettled; almost nervous.

"Alice… why are you here?" He asked her in a quiet tone. Her eyes widened and she folded her arms.

"Why, I can't seem to recall! Perhaps I dashed my head when falling down the Rabbit Hole." She pondered. As Sora crouched to his knees to be almost face-to-face with the little Alice, she herself turned to her elder self.

"She's very pretty looking. Do you like her?" There was a subtle sadness in her tone. Sora looked down at her as she shuffled her feet.

"Alice, you don't remember what happened?" He asked quietly. She just stared at him with a blank face. They both turned to the elder Alice as she walked over to him, her hands on her hips.

"Sora, who on earth are you talking to?" She asked, rather annoyed at him for leaving her to fight alone. As Sora turned towards the smaller Alice, she was nowhere in sight. It startled Sora and he jumped an inch. He looked in all directions in a frenzied attempt to find her.

"You mean…. You didn't see her?" He asked, as he rose from his knees. Alice shook her head with a calm, "No. Should I have?" Sora shook his head in return, and the two returned their attention, once again, to the dreaded vale. The leaf they jumped on took them through a bizarre assortment of fallen branches rising from the water. It took swift evasion and dodging, for both of them on such small space, to not be pushed back into the waters.

"At least the waters are free of those Snark things." He said, dodging another branch before gliding into a clearing.

"And you have me to thank for that, while you were daydreaming." Sora knew it wasn't a daydream. Alice was there. Did she not see her?

He was suddenly overwhelmed with a strange Déjà vu.

-----

"Man, I'm sick of following that turtle guy!" Sora complained. Alice simply stared onwards as the new leaf they boarded carried them onwards. Sora now had another Alice to go worrying about. Alice had her own problems as well to dread about. Their heads hung low. But only momentarily. A strange, but familiar sound filled their ears. The sounds of a falling current. A small waterfall. The sounds thrashed harder and fiercer than before. But as Alice turned her head, the drop was much more lethal then they had imagined. The fall was almost three stories. Unknown weather the water at the bottom was deep enough to break their fall, or shallow enough to break their legs, the two looked in a panicked attempt to find a plant, vine or rock to grab onto before they fell completely. But their luck ran dry, as there was none in reach, and then time ran dry. The leaf made a nose-dive, hurling the twos screaming bodies forward and into the mist below. As they fell, they both braced for the impact. As they splashed into the water, it was about midway-deep; it ran to their thighs. Sora landed in deep enough waters to just get stinging sensations about his skin and the wind knocked out of him. Alice, however, was not so fortunate. She landed in a shallower area near the waterline, but her body was turned to an angle that she landed on her hip, but the impact threw her head smashing onto the surface of land, knocking her clean out. As Sora tried to regain his breath, he staggered over to the shallow waters and to Alice's now unconscious body. He lifted her up and held her body in his arms. Once again, he was thankful that she was very lightweight. Sora tracked out of the waters and leaded against a wall , Alice laying her throbbing head on his legs as she fell into an unavoidable rest. As Sora took his breaths, he held something dig into the side of his leg. It felt sharp, but not like metal. He put his hand to the sting, and just realised what was causing it.

"Oh no no no…" He begged, as he shuffled through his pants and pulled out the now damp Asylum Log. He opened the pages to it. Thankfully, some pages were still readable. But the pages he was currently reading had the words bleed out, completely unreadable. Sora sighed as he put a hand to his forehead. He can't believe he had forgotten about it, how careless she was with it. He carefully turned the damn pages to see if any page was readable. He finally found a passage that he could read. He looked down at Alice and then back to the book.

_14 December 1864_

_The physicians who treated her burns reported that she barely noticed when they debrided and dressed her wounds. Indeed, she rarely showed any agitation at al when they examined her over the months. They also report, however, that on some nights, she howled like a banshee. When the nurses responded to the screams, Alice would hush, as if magically released from her demons._

_Eventually, they stopped responding to these outbursts. And, after a short while, she stopped uttering any noise whatsoever._

6 January 1865

_Another patient died in the night. I'd been treating her with the same potion I intend for Alice. I had been quite certain she was improving with each subsequent vial, so this development is quiet vexing. Perhaps the stronger mixture was too much for her chronically weak chest. A little more experimentation is in order before I feed this serum to Alice._

_-A little less laudanum and a little more camphor might have spared her. -13/12/73_

22 January 1865

_The bleeding doesn't appear to be causing a significant change, except for the pallor for her complexion. Contrasted against her drab rags, she's turned an uncanny shade of ivory. The bloodletting will prime her constitution for my restorative potion._**  
**  
He didn't understand all that he had read. But as Sora began to read on, an unwanted scent of ashes and smoke filled the air. The Cheshire Cat. Sora's heart skipped a beat as he tried to hide the book. The Cat laughed at his foolish attempt. He knew what he was thinking.

"I see you have a secret to keep from Alice." 


	8. Fire

Subtle glares from the Cheshire Cat made Sora uneasy. The long moment of awkward silence only made him worry deeper. What plans did the Cat have in store for this? Blackmail, perhaps?

"Don't tell her." He simply asked, trying to keep his cool and stay focused on their real problems. The Cat could see through it all.

"It's such a shame that she doesn't trust you enough to tell you the whole story herself, isn't it? You'd think after your long past together, she would have told you all of it by now." The malicious grin wouldn't fade. An unsound plot was falling in place behind those blood-stained teeth, he was sure.

"She told me herself that she trusts me enough. She was just interrupted is all!" The Cat laughed under his breath. "Believe what you will, Sora. Believe what you will…" He gritted his teeth,

"Sometimes I wonder whose side you're really on!" Sora yelled, leaning forward, but still being careful not to shake up the unconscious Alice who was as limp as a rag doll in Sora's arms.

"Do believe me, Sora. If I were siding with the Queen, you wouldn't have made it this far, even with Alice's help. You'd be Boojum bait for sure. I know what's best for you both." Sora leaned back, holding Alice carefully.

"If you know what's best for us, then just tell us. Everything is confusing enough as it is, isn't it? So why makes things worse with riddles that nobody understands?" The Cheshire Cat rolled his eyes, and looked back at Sora, who had just wiped seeping blood off of his brow in the moment of silence. The feline had a taunting leer in his eyes.

"Maybe it is. For an idiot I mean. And what's the point of just telling you so straight and forward? Riddles get the brain going, and it keeps you alert. Alertness will keep you alive here. Of course, your brain, however, is so insignificant; I'm not surprised that you would get a headache from them. Sorry I can't make them easier for you." Sora, put off by the insult, threw a glare that matched the cats own.

"Hey, I may not get your riddles, but if not for me, Alice and I wouldn't have gotten here!" The Cat smiled to himself and leered at the boy, madness entrancing beneath every blink.

"How correct. If not for you, Alice would not have lost her parents in the fire. If not for you, Alice would not have had to watch them burn mercilessly in the fire. If not for you, Alice would not have been locked behind the rotting asylum walls. If not for you, Alice would not be drowning in a sea of toxic madness. But, we all make mistakes don't we? Some, worse than others. Or are they?" The cat's grin deepened, as he watched Sora lament at the words. Sora turned his head and looked down at the unconscious Alice.

"I couldn't have known." He said, lowering his head down to her level. He fought back tears at the thoughts of the insanity dwelling within her. Through her closed eyes, he could sense the very presence of it. He wondered… How deep was his own madness; the so-called schizophrenia within? Could Alice feel its presence?

"But you and Alice are so close, were you not? She talked about you constantly. But while she was in the fire, she begged for you to come and rescue her… Why did you let the poor girl down? Don't you know that good hero's show up at least late? So why did you not show up at all? You must be under the influence of the Red Queen." The anorexic tail of the Cheshire cat swung in demented bliss at Soras expense. Sora swung his head back up, rage coursing through his veins as his right hand swung at the cat, the right still cradling Alice.

"Like I would ever work for the Queen! If you ask me, YOU'RE working for her!" Sora slammed his hand down onto the ground, gritting his teeth, nails digging under the surface of the dirt.

"Oh, you share in her rage as well? You, her, and another, then." Sora, rage still in holding, raised an eyebrow. 

"What do you mean by another? Who else is there?" The Cat laughed under his breath and stared at him, tail still sliding across the earth in bliss, scattering dust into the air.

"All in good time, Sora. You will find out that many unexpected others will be here, too. But turn your attention to another; your Princess seems to have woken up." His eyes, now narrow slits, were facing Alice, who groaned in pain and shifted in Soras arm. Sora, panicked, looked down at her, her ivory skin was still stained in blood, but gleaming in the mid-morning light. The Cheshire Cat left them with the burning scent of ashes. Sora quickly shoved the asylum log back into his pocket, as Alice sat up and rubbed her head. She faced Sora slowly.

"How long was I unconscious?" Sora quickly replied. "I'd say about an hour." He stood up, and in return, offered to help her up. Surprisingly, she took the offer and took his hand, and he pulled her up. She reached across the ground for her knife and pointed past a grove of vicious Solanaceae, Bloodroot, Nightshade and Delphinium flowers, all of which tried to take bites out of them as they ran past.

"The girl still has nasty petals, she does! Despite the years of care behind those walls she's still as much of a weed as ever!" The Nightshade cried out, her sharp petals flaring up. The Solanaceae giggled maliciously, waving its roots at Sora.

"And look at that one! He's so unwell his petals have fallen off completely! I also bet he doesn't think much, or at all for that matter!" Sora growled, and a Delphinium flower hissed at Sora, its prickly leaves trying to grab hold of him. "I can never say that I knew anybody that looked stupider! Alice is a runner up, for sure, but this lad takes the winning lead for sure!" Sora remembered these flowers; calling them both weeds for being different then them. He never knew that plants could be so judgemental. Alice folded her arms and leaned forward, glaring up at them.

"_If you don't hold your tongues, I'll very well rip your from the ground by your roots and plant you in poison! That shall teach you a lesson or two!" She yelled, only to have the flowers laugh at them._Sora turned on his heels and marched back to them. Oh, how tempted he was to also rip them out of the group by their roots, but he would rather burn them. But slicing them to bits would suffice just as well. He swung the Keyblade at their stems, but snarled and thorny vines from the Bloodroot lashed out and wrapped around the metal, pulling them closer like a fish on a hook.

"Let go, let go, let go!" Sora screamed, unsuccessfully trying to swing the Keyblade at them. Alice had her arms wrapped around his waist and stood firmly on the ground, trying to pull him back. Sora tried pulling back as well, but they were slowly being dragged back. Sora was struck with an idea. With a single hand movement, the Keyblade vanished in a flash of light, setting the two free and flinging backwards, Alice crashing against the ground, and Sora falling onto her. Both the fall and the impact knocked the wind out of her. Sora, in a panicked frenzy, jumped off of her and helped her up. She slowly gasped for air, and Sora felt another idea spring forth. He summoned the Keyblade once more, and pointed directly at the flowers that tried to kill them. With both hands, he summoned Fira and watched the plants alight in flame. He listened to their cries of pain and simply enjoyed the wave of pride that flowed through him. They continued on. Down the path, a group of army ants awaited their arrival. They aimed their riffles at the two and fired, Alice tactfully deflected the shots with her knife. Needless to say, Sora was quite impressed. Not just from the moves, but the fact that she was still injured but in the right condition to fight, despite it all.

Continuing down the path, they ran past an opening, and the two stopped in front of a lake. Though it seemed like a lake to them, it was merely a puddle in normal size. Alice, curious to know if the water was shallow enough for them to tread across (the water was too murky to see the bottom), fell to her knees and crawled to the waters edge. She shoved an arm into the water. All of a sudden, she stopped. She had an unpleasant, almost shocked look on her face.

"What is it?" He asked her, leaning over her. She slowly retracted her arm from the waters. Sticky pond slime stuck to her fingers and thin strings and beads of slime draped across her fingers and slowly dripped back into the water. She made an unpleasant "Gak!" sound and shook it off, wiping the remains onto her pinafore.

"I'm not swimming in that ooze!" She said, very disgusted. Sora couldn't help but to laugh a little at her reaction. Alice was tempted to push him in the slime because of it. Another bracket of Army Ants charged their way, all of which fell before their blades. Crossing across lily-pads and logs, the two jumps and crossed the terrain, taking all that dared to face them down in their paths. Careful not to fall into the waters below, their footing was careful but rapid. Landing on dry earth, the two crossed. Sora, still weak from battle, spotted a large shard of Meta Essence under a mushroom just ahead of him. Without a second thought, he ran right to it.

"Wait Sora, don't!" Alice cried out, trying to stop him. She noticed the mistake long before Sora could ever notice. As he almost grabbed it, the Mushroom looming above it grew eyes and bloodied teeth, hissing at Sora. His eyes widened and he could only stare. Either way, he was still stupid enough to grab the Meta Essence. The Mushroom inhaled and Sora was sucked in from the force. After a bit of snacking, the Mushroom spit him out shortly after (perhaps because of a bad taste) and he rolled down the hill, looking back up at it. Sora, both shocked and angry, pointed at Alice, then back at the mushroom, making strange and angry sounds.

"Did you not SEE that!? Why didn't you tell me!?" He yelled, throwing his arms down.

"Well I tried! Maybe you should listen to another for once in your life!" She yelled straight back. Both just stared at the other. A renegade bullet from an Army Ant broke the long silence as it hit the earth right by their feet. Sora, taking a fighting stance, charged for them. Keyblade in hand, he sliced vertically into the Ants. In a feeble attempt to fight back, they shot at Sora, who was much too quick for their bullets. That, or they had terrible aim. Already behind them before the ants could realize it, they had already fallen victim to the Keyblade. A Blood Rose rose from the ground, but bested them in size, much like the many other Wonderland creatures. It shot a bundle of renegade thorns, all of which would have almost nearly hit Alice if she didn't manoeuvre to the side. Knife in hand, she dashed to its stem and began to slice at it. While it was demented, it was still a flower; a delicate flower. But as she cut at the stem, the Blood Rose didn't take too much liking to the idea of being killed. It swung one of its prickly leaves at Alice, which flung her backwards. Sora summoned Fira and fired at the Rose, watching it burst into flames and scream, flailing to the ground and forming into Meta Essence.

"Who's the weed now?" Sora said, full of pride. Alice, already bolting ahead to fend off another battalion of Army Ants, didn't want to put up with his showing off very much. Fighting past another brigade of Army Ants and Blood Roses. A single Demented Mushroom lay ahead, having a single shard of Meta Essence. Alice had to pull Sora away by the collar to keep him from being eaten alive. Breaking to the waterline, the two boarded another passing leaf and glided across the murky waters. Dodging more fallen branches and debris, Ladybugs began to drop more acorn bombs onto them. Alice, refusing to fall into the ooze again, flung her knife at the creature. Watching it spiral down into the water, and waiting for the ripples to die down. There was a long silence and then, out of the water, a giant Snark rose from the murky depths and swallowed the ladybug full, the slashed back under. There was a long silence. Sora and Alice looked at one another very shocked, back at the rippling waters, back at each other, and then back again.

"THAT was in the water!?" Sora screamed, falling to his knees and looking over the ledge of the log. "We were going to swim in that!" He said, putting a head to his forehead and wiping sweat from his brow. Alice wouldn't deny that her heart was racing as well. She's thankful she checked the water when she did. Both putting the log behind them, with the giant Snark still in their concern, they jumped from log to log swift fully, being even more careful not to fall into the watery depths just feet below them and getting swallowed whole by the hungry giant Snark. Carefully jumping onto yet another leaf, it glided across the water, both bending off the belligerent Ladybugs that dared to cross their path. The leaf stopped at its destination; on the inside of a large hallowed tree trunk was a house nearly in shambles. The house creaked and howled, as if it was alive. They could see the flicker of lights from the cracks in the walls and roof, and the creaking of the old and mouldy wood. Torches lit their path as two Army Ants guarded the rickety home. Alice took the left, and Sora the right. He summoned Blizzara at the ant and watched it freeze solid, smashing the thick metal of the Keyblade against it, smashing it into tiny bits which scattered across the ground which fragmented into Meta Essence. Alice pulled the live croquet ball out of her pocket and swung the Croquet Mallet, aiming at the Ant. The ant flung its head back and tried to shoot at Alice, but its vision was obscured by blood as the mallet was bashed repetitively into its eyes. She picked up the Meta Essence and stepped closer to the home. Out to the left, she heard faint footsteps from around the porch.

"Psst! Over 'ere!" A voice called out to them from the shadows. When they turned their heads, a peculiar looking Chameleon-like creature was staring at them. Alice, both perplexed and curious, returned the glance.

"Don't I know you?" She asked, folding her arms, thinking hard.

"Bill McGill, at your service. Call me Larry... Or not. 'ave any brandy?" Sora raised an eyebrow at Alice, who in return, did the same. Sora could hardly remember him, but apparently Alice did. She looked back at him and rocked back and forth on her heels.

"No. I've only my wits." Bill simply sighed and glared.

"Then you 'ave nothing. Wits are useless 'ere; everything is downside-up!" Alice, acting as if the last sentence had fallen on deaf ears, stated her demand.

"I wish to see the Duchess." Bill scoffed and waved his hand in an irritated manor. "Impossible. She only sees those who don't wish to see 'er." Alice folder her arms behind her back again.

"That's not right." She said bluntly.

"It's perfect. She's supposed to be 'iding from The Red Queen, who wants 'er dead."

"Her head!?" Alice asked, shaking her own.

"That, too. Ruins me home, builds this monstrosity. She's mad as monkey mash and just as tasteless! Well, nevermind. We'll all parish soon enough. Sure you've no brandy?" Bill asked, sounding very hopeful this time.

"We don't have any damn brandy!" Sora said, well past irritated. The (possibly) drunken Bill waved his arms and made angry noises in a strange manor at Sora, who in return, did the same like a bratty child on a playground. And Alice, rather irritated herself, raised her voice like a mother would with a misbehaving child.

"Both of you stop that nonsense right now! Especially you, Sora; you're the sober one. And Bill, listen to me. I'm here to retrieve the Turtles Shell. I won't leave without it." Alice's tone had snapped both of them out of their little contest. Bill Turned on his heel to face her, but staggered left and right in a failed attempt. Alice was more and more convinced that he was, indeed, in a drunken state. Once he gained his balance, he faced her directly.

"Won't you indeed? Stick your thumb in 'er eye, what! Your devoted servant, ma'am. I owe 'er a bad turn meself. Follow me." As the two followed Bill, who casually walked up to the door (it wasn't a door, really. Just a mess of cards.), the structure began to shake. Bill quickly turned on his heel and ran for his life screaming. Alice and Sora only watched him run. The door swung open and before Sora and Alice could even react, they were sucked in violently by and unknown force kicking and screaming.

---------  
Faint lights and a downward staircase before them was all they could see. The hall before them was very dark, the light from firefly lights hanging on the wall the only source of light for them. Alice drew her knife cautiously and stepped down the staircase, and walked down the hallway. Sora slowly followed, only to stop abruptly at the sound of light footsteps behind him.

"You're rather fortunate that you're not in the Duchesses kitchen. There would certainly be far too much pepper for any of you to have clear senses." Sora nearly jumped at the voice, as his whole body faced the door. There, on the top step, back again the door, was Alice. She smiled and skipped happily down the steps, singing a tune that sounded strikingly familiar to the White Rabbits constant yelling's of 'I'm late!'

"Pepper makes the Duchess very aggressive, so do mind your tongue. She may threaten you with a good beheading!" Sora was never properly (if he could say that) acquainted with the Duchess, and the same goes for many of the other Wonderlanders. A few may remember him. It may be fore the best that he remains unknown, or a forgotten memory.

"I thought beheading was the Queen's job." Sora said, laughing a little to himself, despite the humour being very dark. "Yes, but she used the same threat against me. Thank goodness nobody paid heed." Alice said in response, smiling and approaching Sora. He smiled and felt to one knee, at the same level with her now. Ready to speak another word, he was interrupted by Alice's older self calling to him. As he turned his head to the hallway, he sighed and turned back. Only to be alone; Little Alice had vanished on him once again. He didn't hesitate. He jumped back to his feet and darted down the hallway. He jumped into the main room, which had no sturdy floor. The room consisted of a roaring caged fireplace, two tables, and lastly, the Turtles shell, resting on one of the many rotting shelves. Alice looked at him as if he had barrelled through the walls.

"Why one earth do you keep falling behind!? Do those blasted zippers of your keep weighing you down?" She said, shaking her knife in his face like a wagging finger. Sora slowly pushed it away.

"I... uh, fell." He lied. Badly. Alice rolled her eyes. "Well I'm not surprised. With shoes like those I bet you do that a lot; you're so clumsy!" She said, kicking his shoe with her boot. She took a few steps past him.

"Either way, I've yet to see any sign of the Duchess. I take it you haven't either." She folded her arms and stared at a portrait on the way, And Sora looked around the room, before a luminescent orange glow grabbed his attention. He walked over to the table the glow came from. On top of it was yet another floating weapon for Alice's arsenal. It appeared to be some sort of a Jack in the Box. Sora was afraid to grab it, though. Let alone open it. He feared instead of Jacks head, there would be an onslaught of knives, shooting out like the Razor Cards. Or, it could be worse. Sora smiled and stepped to the side, holding his arms to the side with a courteous bow.

"Ladies first." He said with a laugh. Alice rolled her eyes and quietly muttered under her breath the word 'coward.' She jumped onto the table and took hold of the Jack in the Box, putting it in her pocket for safe keeping. A violent rumble pulsed through the walls and floor, as the walls began to span out then came to a halt. Alice jumped off of the table and stood still, both hardly making a breath. Through the fireplace and out of the flames ran a woman. But Sora could not honestly call her one. Now he wasn't going to lie. She was ugly. Very ugly, in fact. She sneezed loudly, and when she eyed Alice, and sniffed and glared.

"Come closer my little chick... Mmmm, properly seasoned you'd make a handsome dish." Alice knew that disgusting woman anywhere. That grotesque stare, hungry expression, and a rather _nasty_ sneeze to follow. It was the Duchess. Sora actually gagged at her comment and appearance.

"I'm not edible." Alice said, not a single hint of fear in her tone.

"Not a full meal, certainly. But a light snack, I think!" The Duchess claimed, speaking in a more menacing tone in an attempt to frighten Alice. 

"Hey! You can't eat her! Or anybody! That's just plain creepy!" Sora yelled at her, the Keyblade summoning in his hands. She threw an almost offended, if not surprised glare at Sora.

"Mind your own business, child! If everyone did, the world would go round a deal faster than it does now."

"Then wouldn't day and night go faster that way?" Sora said, very confused.

"All the faster that I can cook you and eat you, child!" She screamed, licking her lips.

"I'll have the turtle shell _**now**_, you disgusting ogre!" Alice interrupted, stopping her foot to interrupt the misleading conversation. The Duchess, during her attention to the delicious looking girl, growled.

"Over my dead body!" She howled loudly.

"I'll try to accommodate you!" Alice yelled back, taking out her knife. The Duchess pulled out a pepper shaker and charged at Alice. She tossed her knife at her and she vanished in a moment's time, and the two watched as her knife clashed against the wall.

"Where did she go!?" Sora cried out, looking in all directions. Little did he know a form materialized behind him, and before he could even notice, the Duchess had smashed her deadly pepper shaker against the back of Sora's head, sending him crashing head-first into the floor. Alice spun around quickly enough so simply cut her with her knife, but she ran off too quickly to do any serious damage. Alice and Sora (hardly) scanned the room. Sora spotted a motional blur running about the room. He jumped up from the floor and pointed his Keyblade directly upwards, holding it with both hands. He focused and watched the pattern the blur ran in. He conjured Thundaga and the magic crashed into the range of the blurs path, and pre expected, The Duchess was hit. She charged after them as the two ran around the room. Sora couldn't keep up the Thundaga forever.

"Alice! What about that Jack in the box?" Alice caught the hint and pulled it out of her pocket. She jumped forward and jerked her body around, tossing the Jack in the Box at the Duchess. It simply bounced off of her as Alice landed back on the ground. The three simply stared at it for a few seconds. The Duchess; confused. Sora and Alice; disappointed. The lid swung open and a happy music-box-like child's tune played, and out popped the Jack, who had the malicious look of a serial killer. The Duchess, fairly confused, leaned in to get a better look of it. As the music stopped playing and Jack stopped bouncing, it faced her and their eyes met. Suddenly, a fiery explosion blasted from the box, setting the Duchess alight in flame, Alice and Sora were nearly given heart attacks. The Duchess screamed in both pain and rage, and flailed her arms to disperse the flames. Alice had a new found love for this toy. Soon after the fire faded, she continued and chased them again, Sora and Alice maintaining the normal route of circling the room. Alice had thrown another Jack Bomb at the Duchess, but she now knew the effect and darted away from it, leaving Jack to bounce to the corner of the room alone. The Duchess pulled out a pepper shaker and seemingly harmless pepper was shot at Sora. He didn't flinch at all, but once the pepper hit him, it had so much force and stung so painfully, it sent Sora flying backwards. After a few vicious sneezes, Sora rubbed his nose (the stinging pepper was still burning with each sneeze) and scrambled to his feet to follow Alice. She pulled another Jack Bomb out, but the pepper fired from the Duchess caused her to sneeze, causing her to drop the Jack Bomb to their feet as they continued to run. Alice didn't both to go back for it, (It'd just explode in her face) but she hated the fact that she had wasted her own willpower to use it. But the Duchess apparently didn't see the Jack Bomb that had fallen to the floor, as she stepped right on it, causing the explosion to trigger faster. Alice snickered as the two ran.

"Sora, run behind her. Shoot her with Thundaga after the explosion sets off, alright?" She ordered, Sora loyally obeying. Alice still held the Duchesses primary attention, while Sora snuck behind a tablet, and waited for Alice to throw the next Jack Bomb. As she threw the Bomb in front of her, she darted over it (being careful not to step on it) and kept running. Sora jumped over the table and behind the Duchess. But unfortunately for him he got far too close, and the explosion took a big toll on them both. While the Duchess took most of the hit, the flames still danced their way to Sora's flesh. He cried in pain and fell to the floor, in a desperate attempt to disperse the flames. It immediately grabbed the Duchesses attention, as she turned around and she grabbed Sora by the waist, pulling him close. She began to laugh hungrily.

"Mmmm, just how I like my food; cooked and burned!" After her comment, she began to bite into his seared flesh with her disgustingly rotted teeth. Sora yelled in pain, trying to pry out of her painful grip and sharp teeth. Alice had jumped behind her and took slashes out of her back with the Vorpal Knife, sending her into a shocked state, dropping the boy and darted across the room in a blur. Alice ran to a near-by shelf and grabbed the diamond Meta Essence and ran back to Sora, handing it back to him. While he was still in pain, his burns eased slightly, the bites began to retreat, and he jumped to his feet. The Duchess wiped some blood away from her mouth and charged back at them. The two took back to their normal route and waited for the Duchess to charge behind them. Alice threw another Jack Bomb in front of her as she jumped of it. The lid swung open and the explosion set off, setting her alight once again. Sora jumped behind her (for a far distance this time) and summoned Thundaga on her, causing an even bigger explosion that put the last one to shame. She cried in pain and her arms failed madly, inhaling all the pepper from the pepper shaker. She began too sneeze, and very violently. It started with one, then three and more. She could hardly keep her balance with the constant sneezing, the pressure building making each one hurt more than the last. She threw her head back and sneezed harder than before. So hard, her head literally exploded from the pressure as a fountain of both blood and pepper sprayed from her head, her brain flying through the air and landing on the ground with a very unpleasant 'squish.' The limp body of the Duchess fell to her knees, before falling flat on her face, blood and pepper still pouring out of her head like a busted pipe. A short moment after the Duchess fell, a large shelf swung open, and the Mock Turtle and Bill stepped out, all just staring at each other and the now hallow-headed Duchess, whose head was now flooding only pepper. Bill stepped forward and folded his arms.

"I'll 'ave the leeches in to 'andle this mess." He said, turning to the Mock Turtle who had just retrieved his shell, and putting it back on. "At least my shell's in tolerable condition!" He said happily.

"A simple thank you would've been nice… I've kept my part of the bargain, Turtle." Alice said, folding her arms ignoring Sora who was poking the now-dead Duchess with his Keyblade like a curious child.

"Fair enough. I'll take you on a trip. Hover around my bubbles. Cuddle up to them. Never leave them. You'll muttle through." The Turtle said happily. Sora was (obviously) confused at what he had said. Bill had stepped to the large round table just next to him. He pulled a hidden lever to make the surface to the table spilt and lift like the lid to a Jack in the Box, revealing, apparently, a new path. The Turtle jumped into the air and into the table, which to their surprise, they hard the splash of water. Alice started to understand it more clearly now. They would be swimming to reach their destination. She took a deep breath and jumped in after him, swimming down into the icy depths. Sora curiously leaned over the tablet and looked at the dark waters.

"Well go on! Off with you!" Bill yelled, pushing him head-first into the depths. Sora was thrown off by the cold and now dark waters, but he took a deep breath and swam straight downwards.

-------

He kept swimming downwards, colder and colder the waters became. He blindly slid his hands down the circular walls around him, to find a break away point before he ran out of air. He swam blindly downwards until faint light broke through into his vision. He swam into the opening was and caught sight of Alice and the Mock Turtle, who were surrounded in luminescent glowing bubbles. Sora swam over to her, and once he reached the bubbles, he felt an almost air-like feeling. He dared to inhale, and though it had a moist feel, like he was in a very dense fog, he could breathe with ease. He tried to speak, but no words came out. He surveyed around him. Tangled groves of seaweed were growing from the ground, and age's worth of slimy algae stuck to the walls. Rocks of all sizes towered over and around them, and thin rays of light poured through cracks above them.

The Turtle turned to them and signalled to the two if they were ready to go on. Alice turned to Sora. Sora didn't notice what the Turtle had hinted and he unknowingly turned his head to the side. Alice gave an 'Okay' signal for the Turtle to proceed. He nodded and began to swim forward, the trail of his precious bubbles following. The flush of water crashed into Sora's lungs, and he choked on it painfully. Alice grabbed his wrist and swam after him quickly.

Sora followed after, ignoring the water he swallowed. He followed Alice through a small tunnel, swimming out into a much larger area. Stalks of seaweed spread throughout the water like clouds, and thermal jets blasted through cracks in the ground. Sora, trying not to get lost in the scenery, followed Alice and the Turtle. They started swimming around a pillar-like rock and more seaweed. Sora couldn't help but notice that while he was swimming behind Alice, he got a perfect view up her dress with a direct look of her black laced undergarments. Unfortunately for him, she turned her head to see if he was keeping up, or if he had drowned already. Enraged at Sora's blissful expression and flushed checks, she slowed her swimming pace, lifted her right leg forward, then kicked back as hard as should could, her boots heel smashing painfully right on the brim of Sora's nose. He covered his bleeding nose and chocked on more water as she tried to cry out in pain. Alice, fairly proud of her work, pulled him forward. 

They swam deeper and deeper until they reached an underwater cave. Sharp and jagged rock penetrated through the ground and pointed downwards through the rough ceiling, all careful to dodge them. A group of fish swam into Sora's face, which distracted him as the Turtle crashed into a pair of heavy rocks, which slowly began to fall and would block their path if they didn't cross in time. Sora didn't notice and Alice, in a panic, dragged Sora tactfully underneath the rocks without letting him get crushed. Sure he was tempted to do his dirty charade again, she pushed him ahead of her and let him lead her. Around more pillars they swam, the occasional jagged rock would scrape their flesh, and they just prayed no Snarks lurked anywhere nearby.

Still in the cave, they broke through into a much less narrow area, where leaning pillars that looked ready to fall were all around them, and oysters with precious Meta Essence on their pearls were nearly heaven sent for Sora's nearly-broken nose. He grabbed it and felt the flashed of pain disperse, grabbing more off of the water bed as they swam onwards.

Sora was careful to dodge the thermal cracks, but Alice wasn't so fortunate, as she was pushed upwards into the ceiling and she fell behind. Sora loyally waited for her, despite the Mock Turtle continuing on. Once she caught up, Sora was nearly next to the Mock Turtle while Alice was still close behind. The Turtle crashed into another pair of rocks, triggering two to fall and would block Alice's way if she didn't swim fast enough. She managed to slip through the rocks, but was caught between a rock and a thermal crack which threatened to have her gauged by the jagged rocks just feet above it. Sora swam towards her, leaving the sanctuary of the Mock Turtles bubbles behind to help Alice.

She swung her body to the left, which caused the thermal shaft to lift her to a bloody demise. But Sora took hold of her hand and pulled her to him quickly, before the rocks could even get a chance to penetrate her skin. He pulled her so close; they were nearly nose to nose. Alice was thankful, and it showed on her face. Sora smiled and quickly turned around, pulling Alice by her wrist and swimming to the Mock Turtle, whose trail of bubbles still lingered in their sight, but began to vanish quickly. Alice slowly began to choke on water. Sora tried not to panic and swam harder to reach the Turtles bubbles. He could feel their misty refreshing feel in his lungs, but all Alice could feel in hers was icy water. He pulled her and pushed her forward with his legs, kicking her into the misty air bubbles. She gasps while hacking up water.

They continued to follow, veils of light pouring through more holes above them. Actual pillars from granite-like rock stood cracked but firm in the water, making Sora think that this place was not always underwater, because of their shape. The Turtle continued onwards, but he appeared to be having a bit of fun with this guidance. While another opening was dead ahead of them, he circled around pillars and weaved under narrow-fitted rocks.

As he crossed another pillar, tiles from the ceiling began to shatter and fall downwards, which were much heavier then they looked. Two slowly began to crush Sora as they fell onto him, knocking all of the wind out of him and pushing him further below. He managed to break away before he was completely crushed. He felt like his lungs were about to burst from the lack of air. He planted his feet on the ground and pushed upwards, rocketing himself straight upwards and into the bubble stream. He slowly took in the dense air as Alice swam next to him. They swam through a textile opening and into a new area. To Sora, it resembled a very old temple, with the decorative patterns on the tiles and the human (or beast) altered rock to a more regal shape. Alice too was taken in by the sight. Still safe within the bubbles trail, the tranquillity (if they dared to find it that way) was broken by very familiar and unwanted teeth in their legs. Snarks. Unfortunately for them, the blood for Sora's leg (and nose) attracted more hungry Snarks, while the Mock Turtle didn't take notice and began to swim off without them. They kept swarming, popping up out of generally nowhere. They decided to fend them off when they had precious oxygene in their lungs. They swam forward, pursuing the Turtle and trying to our-swim the Snarks. They swam onward, more rubble and broken granite from the walls and ceiling above lay scattered across the ground, and an angler fish with a lure in the shape of a glowing lantern lighting their path.

The Snarks were attracted to its glow, and were predictably eaten nearly whole. The Turtle lead to duo through a hole in the wall, swimming directly upwards. They swam directly forwards towards a large pit overgrown with seaweed and rubble. As they got inches closer, they screamed out all the air they had as another Giant Snark rose from the pit and tried to swallow them whole.

Completely oblivious to the fact that they had no air left and they were underwater, they began to hyperventilate, swimming around the pit to avoid it, searching frantically for the Turtle who was nowhere in sight. Alice's head pounded as she began to choke violently on the water, holding her neck and clawing at the water. He caught sight of the luminescent bubbles just yards across from them. He wrapped his arm around her waist and kicked off of another pillar, hid heart racing as he too began to choke on the water, his head pounding violently. He darted for the bubble stream and both began to gasp for air like they haven't breathed in hours. They hated the Turtle for being such a show-off; for doing flips, swerves and turns around pillars. 

Like hell they were going to follow all of that. They held their breath and waited for the Turtle to swim straight, and they followed. He burst through the wall, quite literally, as he crashed headfirst through the wall and into a new area that had the misty bubbles jetting from the ground. They started at it like children in a candy shop. They swam forward, pushing and shoving the other to take in the precious air. Alice was the first to swim into the next area. Sora followed. There were no rooms, but the light above proved they had a new path to take. They took a deep breath, and kicked off of the ground and swam upwards and towards the light.


	9. Gravity

The air just above the surface of the water was a prize for their efforts. The two swam upwards, like birds freed from their cages. As every second past, Sora felt as if his lungs were getting closer and closer to the moment of bursting from a lack of air. He wasn't sure how fast they were swimming, but as soon as they reached the surface, it felt as if something had flung them straight out of the water. Both a mass of flailing limbs in the air, both fell and crashed onto the dry, rugged surface of solid ground, scattering dust particles into the air around them. Both rose to their feet, ringing the water out of their hair and clothes, before looking up to the Mock Turtle who impatiently awaited them. Raising a 'hand' to his face, he wiped off the access dirt and dust that had worked its way to his nose.

"Finish what you start, please. Remember, you're just a visitor. We have to live here!" He said with the usual upbeat tone. Alice, feeling a bit unvalued and put-down, spoke her part. Very loudly.

"I'm no bloody tourist!" She yelled, balling her fists and lunging forward to the turtle, only to be held back by Sora. She shook stray strands of hair out of her face, gritting her teeth and breaking free of Sora's grip. It unpleasantly reminded her of the restraints and sedatives back in the asylum.

"We've been through hell and back, Turtle. We're not on holiday." She said more calmly than before, but a hint of anger was still looming about in her tone. She rubbed her arms convulsively, the haunting thoughts of the asylum sinking back into thought. The turtle simply smiled. "And I'm not ungrateful. Alice, Sora." He paused, shaking his head above the two of them. Bright, luminescent pink lights rose from the ground and floated over their heads; still the most cheerful thing they've seen in Wonderland to date. Wrapped around their chests were their very own translucent turtle shells.

"You're honorary reptiles!" He finished with a smile. Sora swatted away the remainder of the sparkle-like lights as Alice looked not the least bit impressed. "Lucky us." She said sarcastically, putting her hands on her hips.

"You'll think so when you're underwater." Turtle replied. Bidding them goodbye (Alice couldn't be any more happy to see him leaving), he jumped back into the murky waters. Both turned around to the new environment before them. Well, it wasn't all that new. Less light was the major difference. Light was escaping fast as orange and red had began seeping into the sky. The two started the venture back up as they turned on their heels and followed the path that lie before them. Buzzing overhead indicated a certain threat, as the sickeningly familiar scent of ashes scattered into the air, bloody incisors greeting the two as they darted straight past.

"Is our situation not dismal? Wonderland is so discombobulated that lady bugs have turned belligerent and enlisted in the Queen's army. PUNISH THEIR CONVERSION." The haunting tone ordered, as not only the ladybugs greeted them into this horrid terrain, a renegade bullet proved to her that that was not their only worry. Pain shot up into Alice's upper thigh, as the bullet shot into a deep and open Snark Bite. She groaned and cradled the wound, carefully but quickly removing the thick metal from her bloodied flesh.

Sora took aim and fired Fira at the beast, triggering it to combust and burst into a cluttered mass of vivid-green blood and still-pumping organs. Sora released a disgusted "bletch!" as he stared down at the once-Army Ant, stomach starting to turn. Alice shook his shoulder, prying him out of his disgusted daze, and turning him to the Lady Bugs closing in. Keyblade and Vorpal Blade at the ready, each one was flung like a boomerang to the swarm. Alice's reach hit only one, but the insect went down in an instant. Sora's range took down the other two on the Keyblades return.

A pond was to their right, and the lack of water ripples proved the waters harboured no Snarks. Three lily pads rested on the glass-like surface of the water, which looked stable enough to support their weight. Alice lunged forward and jumped on, Sora keeping his eyes out for more of the mechanical Lady Bugs. One slowly began to soar out over the horizon.

"Alice, heads up!" He yelled, pointing to the insect. Alice's head snapped towards him, then to where he was pointing. All in short time, as the mechanical Lady Bug was already over her and dropped an acorn bomb onto the lily pad, the shockwave blasting a screaming Alice backwards and into the murky depths. An icy chill ran over his fingers as he could feel Blizzaras force pulsing through the Keyblade. Lifting the weapon and taking quick aim, the monster had frozen solid before he even realised it was forming into Meta Essence.

Alice had already resurfaced safely, and had climbed out of the waters and back onto another lily pad. Sora was relived to see she was neither burnt nor too badly injured. She took hold of a long vine hanging from an overhead branch, turning her head towards him.

"Sora, this way. Before more find us." She said sternly, starting to climb up the vine. Alice should've learned by now never to let the growing teenage boy crawl behind or climb under her, because she was left temporarily unaware that Sora was being given a lovely show of soft skin and black lace.

She then proceeded to grind the wedge of her heel into Sora's nasal cartilage.

The pain wasn't enough to send him crashing down to the waters below, but it was enough to teach him a lesson. (One that he would forget soon enough.) Sora whined and looked down, sharing an expression of a child who just got caught sneaking a hand in a cookie jar. Alice had a feeling that by the time they reached the end of their journey, Sora would have a permanently broken nose. Alice called down to serve an order.

"Start swinging back and forth." She said in a demanding tone. Sora started to look up to see what she meant, but stopped himself half way, nose aching painfully. He simply nodded, hoping he interpreted the command right. Both swung their legs back and then swung forward. They were repeating the process until they were close enough for Alice to jump onto the ledge above them, which would take them to another path. Sora, knowing it was without risk to look upwards, climbed up to the point Alice was just at, and started to swing the already in-motion vine back and forth, until he was ready to jump off safely. Leaping forward, he charged forth and dodged all jagged thorns from a threatening Blood Rose, which instantly withered before the metal of their blades.

Alice looked towards a glowing, psychedelic mushroom and then over to a ledge that could not be reached from basic climbing. What should be playthings and happy reminders of their childhood play-dates were now the only thing separating them from survival and death. A half-lit expression stretched across his face, grey gloom filling his thoughts. If the mushroom did what she thought it would, then it would prove useful. She decided not to take it upon herself to test the possibly dangerous mushroom. Also, she was sure the minute she was airborne, Sora would have seen up her dress three times in a single day. She merely grabbed Sora's shoulder, deeply looking at him in the eyes.

"While I am confident that this will prove successful…" She started, barely hopeful in her own guess. "I'd rather the lesser of us were to die instead." Sora threw her a perplexed stare, before being shoved helplessly forward, possibly to his own death.

It felt like the law of gravity had been temporarily banished as he was sprung into the air, before he slowly began to drop back down to earth.

Now Sora stood corrected. A dangling vine was the only thing standing between life and death. His reach was so close but so far from the vine, aching fingers barely in reach. He stretched his body as cat-like as he could, focusing no longer on his surroundings but only on his thin fingers wrapping around the thickly strand of foliage. Only a single digit successfully latched onto the strand, while his body began to rocket down. The previous jump had launched him too far, and his grip lost all contact. He was now flying without goal through the air. Gravity's bitter law crashed down hard on Sora as he painfully landed into the ground below.

"Sora!" Alice called out, anxieties taking over her. She fell on hands and knees next to the writing boy, expecting him to be faking his injuries as he would in the past. Cradling what felt like snapped and shattered ankles, Sora choked down what swears tried to make their way up. He tried to take deep breaths, waiting for the pain to subside. He groaned loudly, begging Alice to find Meta Essence.

Normally, Sora could jump from a higher elevation and land without so much as a tick of pain. But the laws of Wonderland were as bitter and unforgiving as their Queen. Gravity was no exception. Alice dashed back towards the mushrooms and began to climb up the ledges, a diamond Meta Essence resting on top of another ledge that Alice's fingers could barely reach. Standing on her toes and pressing her self against the smooth rock of the terrain, the tips of her fingers stressed to coax the glowing crystal closer and closer, until it was ready to fall over the ledge and into her awaiting arms.

All in vain, as her fingers only pushed it further back. She bit her lip to keep herself from swearing. She fumbled through her pockets and pulled out one of the many contents inside, being the Rigor Mortis Croquet Mallet. Hand wrapped securely around the handle, Alice stood back on her toes and pressed against the wall again. She used the long mallet to knock the Essence down, and she cradled it in her hands. Jumping down from the ledges, she began carrying the small shard to Sora. While the dry landing did not sacrifice much from his sanity, pain was still pain; no matter where he was. The Meta Essence slowly replenished his energy and sent soothing waves down to his ankles, where the pain began to quickly lift. Managing to stand himself up, he thanked her as they gave the vine another go.

Deep breathes were taken and held as Sora prepared to lunge forward. The Mushroom flung him high into the air, where he aimed himself properly and had a secure hold on the vine. Lost in pride, he flashed a smile down to Alice, whose hand gestures proved she wasn't in the mood for his joy. He climbed upwards, positioning himself, then swinging forward and back with all of his might. The long and treacherous effort was well worth its obstacles as Sora landed atop the cliff above… only to be staring dead set forward, uttering not a single breath.

"Do you see something?" She called up, hoping the boy didn't wet himself in sheer terror of anything he had caught sight of. No response struck agitation in Alice, as she groaned loudly and stomped her foot.

"If you want something done right…" She mumbled, jumping onto the glowing mushroom and taking hold of the precious vine before crashing down below. After reaching the ledge, Alice saw what he was so aghast about.

"He's so thin…" Sora stuttered listlessly. The White Rabbit he knew before; always racing against the clock before the queen had his head. Portly and always carrying that thrice-damned pocket watch. That visage was gone for good. Apparently there was no important conversing, as the Rabbit looked quite impatient with the boy _and_ Alice, yet glad to speak to someone with a higher level of intelligence.

"You've taken your sweet time." He posted, looking at the horrifying and mangled foliage growing to his left. That was it? THAT was all he had to say? After everything the two went through!? Alice simply wouldn't have it. She approached the rabbit, her hands on her hips in a demanding manor.

"What do you mean? You're the one who didn't wait! I have reason…!" She stopped herself, plotting deep within her mind of which of her many dangerous toys she'd use to 'play' with Rabbit first. He turned his head back to her, bloodshot pink eyes looking to them both.

"Forget reasons, they're useless. Caterpillar is waiting." The instant he heard that name, Sora was reminded of what he was told… apparently years ago. They shared Wonderland. Sora then felt an intense weight of guilt fall onto his shoulders, realising the fact that he had aided in Wonderlands poisonous transformation. Every fight, every time he cried, his fondest and cruellest memories and all of the actions that he had taken to get here.... had a sharp and jagged effect on Wonderland. It was not only Alice to blame. He no longer felt like a lost guest, rather a family member suffering a great loss.

Alice folded her arms, putting but a single finger to her chin in thought. "I remember him well…thin skinned, ill tempered, smokes too much, _disagreeable_ smell… She paused to shake her head in a dissatisfied manor, arms returning to a folded position.

"Why do I need him?" She asked, sure she'd get a blunt and quick answer she already knew.

"No one's wiser in Wonderland." And she was right. "Only he knows what you must do to save us. Now, follow closely. The way is treacherous. We have so far to go, and so little time to get there!" Alice nodded in agreement and watched as the rabbit turned on his matted heel and lunged forward, carrying on the path ahead. The two cautiously approached the ledge, predicting the dangers that lie afoot. More of the various vines and stable mushrooms jetting out of a central tree trunk, but below was something they both could fear. No grass, no mushrooms, but a fall that seemed to carry on to the other edge of Wonderland. Alice turned to Sora as he cringed and seethed in discontent, seeing the various obstacles on the path ahead. And he'd much rather land on a hard surface and snap his ankles than to fall for an eternity.

Alice was the first to jump, and while Sora expected the mushroom to lunge her back into the air, it seemed solid, lacking is psychedelic glowing. Sora followed after as she stepped down to another shroom, both looking on ahead to the dangling vine that hovered over a bottomless void. Sora feared the last one, but this left his knees shaking. He didn't want to fall, but it would be even worse if she fell. Sora feared for nothing, as her jump forward was successful; even with items in hand. She swung forward and landed with a thud, casually waiting for Sora to land at her side. He took a deep breath and lunged forward, a shorter jump but he still managed to grab hold of the vine. He kept his head held high, refusing to look down to the non-existent ground below.

After reaching the other side, Sora glowed with pride. A smile was rare in Wonderland. Running down a valley-like path, a Blood Rose greeted them into the new area. Jumping a mile from the unexpected scare, Sora struck the weed with Thundaga with a racing heart. Alice rolled her eyes, denying that she was scared. But both would be screaming in sheer terror soon. Tearing all focus away and feeding it to the Blood Rose was anything but wise. It was only then that Alice had paid heed to the swam-like buzzing overhead. The Ladybugs flew over in a line, each reading the bombs at their disposal. Alice only stared up in disbelief at how low she had let her guard down.

No time to run, Sora did what he was best at; acting without thinking. He pulled her arm and wrenched her close, snapping her out of the terrified state. Despite her being taller, he spun her around so that his back now faced the bugs. Hugging her body as closely to his as he could, he then grit his teeth and shut his eyes, willing to go through any amount of pain to save Alice from going through any. The bombs fell, explosions triggering and simulating the feel of his skin being set aflame. He chocked back as many screams as he could manage, the pain making it harder and harder to keep his grip on the struggling Alice. Bomb after bomb dropped, Sora absolutely refusing to let go of Alice, despite her screams. After the last of the bombs fell, he collapsed. Not in the embrace of death, but the fatigue of pain. Alice only looked down at him as he groaned at the various burns.

"Why did you do that?" She asked, turning her body to fend off the lady bugs from returning. His replies were in tattered grunts, undecipherable to Alice. She sighed and carried to Meta Essence to him, dropping it as it began melting into him. Area clear, Alice folded her arms and looked down at him.

"Sora. Why did you do that?" She repeated, eyes narrowing at him. He struggled to sit up, wiping blood away from his cheek. "I didn't want you getting hurt."

"Really, now? Well, you're doing a _wonderful_ job. I've already been terribly wounded. You're an anchor to me, Sora." The remark tugged on his heart. "I wouldn't have protected you, anyways." Her expression and body language told him that she truly hated him, but her eyes screamed that she appreciated it. Instantly the weight of the guilt continued to pile on him, being reminded of Alice and the asylum. What happened to her!? He needed to know more. He had to get her away; even for a minute, just to read a single page.

"Alice, you go on ahead." He said, looking up at her with lament in his eyes. It was the worst thing he could possibly say to her. She was extremely surprised, jolting upright and eyes widening.

"After all of _that_?" She started to yell, pointing at what remained of the Ladybugs and their bombs. "And after your injuries!? Do you want them to lie in vain!?" Sora smiled faintly at her. He knew that deep down she wanted him alive, even just a little bit.

"Well, look on the bright side! Now I won't slow you down. I'll catch up. I promise." Alice gave him a wary stare, but sighed to herself, turning on her heel. "Perhaps now I will get some peace and quiet… very well. I expect to see you before I reach Caterpillar." She ran ahead, drawing her knife until she ran out of sight. Sora's heart and face dropped. Her was so worried for her wellbeing. She was strong, but she was mortal.

"No more than three pages…" He told himself, wrenching the tattered book from his pocket. Flipping through the pages that were rendered unreadable, he scanned for a page that he could make out.

_23 March 1865_

_Nothing seems to aggravate the girl. I've tried restraint- handcuffs, leg-locks and straightjackets. I've tried solitary confinement. On the other hand, I allowed her to smell freedom, leaving her for hours at a time unattended in the garden. Yet nothing stirs her. I still have a number of methods, some of which I haven't engaged since the old days, but I'm beginning to doubt anything can bring a change in this one.  
_  
The next page made his eyes widen in shock.

_7 September 1873_

_After years of slumber, she chooses to speak to us with a picture, a drawing of some sort of cat. Really, it's nothing like any cat I've ever seen._

Resting just underneath the text was a drawing of a feline lying in a tree; but not just any old cat. The Cheshire Cat. He held the same wicked grin he bore now. But he was not thickly or stripped as he once was, during the happier days. He was as skinny as a stick and tattooed all over. Leering eyes pierced his eyes the longer he stared. He couldn't believe she drew this; not exactly commemorating her artist talent but disbelief at her coursing madness. He hesitated to continue on, but he needed to know more…

_9 September 1873_

_I admit to a certain ammount of excitement over Alice's semt awakening. I have to be careful, though. At this point, it's difficult to tell what this development- what I'm pleased to call her "progress"- signifies.  
_  
He struggled to read the next page, but the date and passage before him was unreadable. A single paragraph underneath the water torn words was left decipherable.

_Alice woke from her nap and began to sob hysterically. "Tell me child, what's wrong?" Pleaded Nurse D. "What is it, dear?" In an instant of semt awareness, Alice spoke a sort of poetry. _

_Into the hole again, we hurried along our way_

_Into a once glorious garden now seeped in dark decay._

_She continued to cry_

All after that was left unreadable. Sora swore to himself and turned the page. He didn't read a single word as he eyes were focused on one thing. A picture. Looking deeply, it perfectly resembled the Vale of Tears and the Wonderland Woods they were now exploring. It was another picture she had drawn.

"You should go after her." The calm voice made him jump a mile, welcomed but unexpected. After landing and catching up with his heartbeat, a little giggle came from the voice. Sitting with legs to her side, little Alice was leaning against Sora with a childish affection that cried for longing questioning.

"Alice…?" He did three double takes, making sure she wouldn't vanish this time. Also making sure that the gunpowder wasn't affecting his senses. She only responded to his reaction with the tilt of her head and a smile.

"Well, if I had run off into those woods alone, wouldn't you go after me?" There she was again; talking about her older self. She seemed to hardly notice the constant dangers looming around her.

"Of course I would." He replied, worry in his tone. Almost weightless hands touched his own, feeling different than any other sensation that he had ever felt. It was almost a cool, airy feel, but subtle warmth held onto her touch. His grip was still on the book, her hands trying to push it away.

"She needs you. Save reading for another day." He looked down at the book; then back at Alice. In a flash she was gone, sending chills down his spine. He would listen to her words. Putting the book back into his side pocket, Sora took a deep breath and ran forward.

Stopping just before the edge of a cliff, He looked straight ahead to another side. He saw a blur of dark blur dash past a corner.

"ALICE!!!!" Sora called out. She didn't stop to turn back, she only ran ahead. No way across to the other side, Sora looked down and fell into thought, only to be pulled right back up into reality. Just below, there were glowing mushrooms, vines and platforms, growing from the rocks and handing above another endless fall.

A fatal mistake on Sora's behalf, as he went tumbling over the edge, no hard ground to break his fall. As he dropped down, he shut his eyes and prepared for the worst. Then he felt almost weightless, wind passing him in another way. Creaking a single eye open, he was soaring through the air, a mushroom breaking his fall and helping him towards another path. Shifting his weight forward, he started to drop back down, aiming for another mushroom. Shot right back into the air, he hardly moved an inch to land on another that flung him directly forward and to another, which helped him land safely on solid ground. His knees gave way and he collapsed, landing on his back. His heart was racing and adrenaline had skyrocketed. He was so terrified, so sure he was going to die.

He regained his breath and looked upwards, upside down perspective revealing to him that he had another path to take. No time to recover, he stood up and ran inside a hallowed tree, hands still shaking from fear. He would find this interesting if it didn't promise poison and death. A root provided as a ramp for him to walk up, resting on which was a single glowing sphere, unlike any he's seen in Wonderland before. It was a glowing red orb which seemed to be filled with a glowing liquid substance, the orb wrapped in gold. Curiosity and caution got the best of him, as hesitant fingers slowly reached out to the orb, only to pull right back in a flash.

"Looks like Meta Essence…" He told himself. But for all he knew, he could be wrong. It could be an explosive bomb, poison or a monster in disguise. Taking a deep breath, he kicked reason to the curb and wrapped his fingers around the luminescent orb with a racing heart. It vanished between his fingers in a flash of red light, a cooling sensation flashing over him, burns feeling as if they were doused with soothing water. It was a powerful version of the shards of Meta Essence.

"I'll have to remember this." He said, taking a mental note that would soon vanish. Climbing up the vine, his only concern was catching up with Alice. He feared not falling below, but if she still walked this land. Mushrooms were now a best friend of Sora, he trusted the psychedelic plants, as they flung him to sturdy ground on a thick piece of foliage. A shining glow catching his eye, his focus then turned to a ledge that would take him from the hallowed log to another route. Without so much as a plan, Sora lunged forward and successfully landed, but so closely to the side he could have fallen.

A Wonderland greeting into a new area was never warmly welcomed. There were blades to the flesh, acid in your eyes, and thorns in your legs. This time, Sora got a poison bomb to the face. Jumping back with a swear, he whirled around and pressed his back against the bark of the hallowed tree, the unpleasant hissings of the patrolling Army Any Commander, which suspiciously vanished from his senses. He remained still, just waiting for any sign of return.

After a long wait, Sora craned his neck to the side to scout the area for any sign of the lurking terror. Poking his head out of his hiding spot, the pointed tip of a sharp rapier was held but an inch in front of his face. He instantly countered the assault with a swing of his own blade, causing the Army Ant Commander to staged back, throwing an acid bomb in self defence, Sora wrenching back to avoid the poisonous explosion. The Ant took retreat, but if Alice had taught Sora anything, it was never to turn your back on an enemy. He charged after it and thrust the blade through its head, toxic blood spraying forth from the fatal wound. He attempted to pull his sword back, which was wedged in the skull and remains of the Army Ant's head. Jiggling it as he would a stubborn key stuck in a lock, he balanced on one leg and pressed his foot against the spine of the ant, before finally pulling the Keyblade free as if it were Excalibur.

Taking the Meta Essence it left behind, Sora ran ahead, up the path and down another. Vicious rumbling rang in his ears as he broke into a new terrain. The jagged formation of the ledges before him and across on the other side proved that a rock formation was previously there, acting as a bridge to any passer-byers. Nervously looking here and there, Sora caught sight of his new best friends; the psychedelic mushrooms. Placing his trust and his life into the mushrooms, he jumped forth. Once again being flung from each fungi to the next, he carefully leaned from side to side to avoid being thrown into the wrong direction.

Crash landing on the other side with a pounding heart, Sora didn't take into consideration the threats that could be resting on the path before him. His eyes darted as he saw thorns jetting his was, side-stepping almost over the edge and to his death. Slaying the foul plant that dared to attack him, Sora bolted across the horrendous plain and cut down all foliage in his path. Greeting his sight was a thrashing river, and he knew this trek was far from over.


End file.
